7 





■*^\-1 







t-^lxL^-W _ 



LIFE 



/ 



MAJOR GENERAL 



ZACHARY TAYLOR; 



NOTICES OF THE*V/Ail HSf NEV7" MEXICO, CALIFOF.NIA, 
AND IN SOUTHERN MEXICO ; 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF OFFICEES WHO HAVE 
DISTINGUISHED THEMSELVES IN THE WAR WITH MEXICO, 




BY JOHN FROST, L.L. D., 

ADTHOR OF "EOOK OF TEE APJUT." "BOOK OF THE NAVY," &0, Ua. 



NEW YORK: ' 

D. APPLETON & CO. 200 BROiVDWAY. 

PIIILADELPniA: 

G. S. APPLETON, 118 CHESNUT STREET. 

^;C^^^ .0^^^^'^^ <t^^^^^/^^ 



\^ 






Entered, according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1S47, by 

D. APPLETON & CO. 

in the office of the Clerk of the Distiict Court of the United States, in and for 
the Southern District of New York. 



foL 




Times of war, revolution, or other national con- 
vulsions, serve to develop strong and striking traits 
of character, and to bring men capable of high 
resolve and energetic action into public notice. 
The truth of this observation, confirmed by all 
history, has been forcibly illustrated since the com- 
mencement of hostilities between Mexico and the 
United States. If a long peace had led any short- 
sighted person to believe that the martial spirit of a 
free nation, like our own, could ever become extinct 
by inaction, the events of the last few months have 
served to dissipate the illusion. We find that the 
heroic age, the age of American chivalry, has not 
yet quite passed away — that we have still soldiers 
among us who are worthy to be ranked with the 
revolutionary heroes ; and that the lofty spirits who 



4 PREFACE, 

freely shed their blood at Chippewa, Niagara, Platts- 
burg and Fort Harrison, have lost none of that noble 
contempt of danger and of death which signalized 
their characters in the early prime of manhood. 

The present war has also developed the fact that 
the people of this country have lost none of their 
ancient predilection for the sturdy race of heroes. 
The present popularity of General Taylor is of itself 
sufficient to show that the hearts of the American 
people are always to be won by those who display 
the lofty qualities of firmness, courage and capacity 
in battle, and heart-warm humanity towards the 
conquered in the hour of victory. The hearts of the 
people are "in the right place." They are not the 
mercenary, merchandizing set, which their enemies 
represent them to be. They reverence exalted traits 
of character ; and cherish the true hero. 

In the following pages, I have endeavored to 
present the character and actions of General Taylor 
in their true light ; and for this purpose mymaterials 
have been tolerably ample, so far as regards the 
conspicuous actions in which he has been engaged. 
With respect to his private life and character, I 
have relied chiefly on the authority of those who arc 
so fortunate as to possess a personal acquaintance 
with the General and his family. More details of 
the comparatively inactive parts of his life might 



PREFACE. 5 

easily have been supplied ; but most readers will be 
best satisfied that I have chosen to dwell chiefly on 
those great actions which constitute his title to 
renown. By his public life he will be chiefly known; 
and henceforward he is of course destined to be one 
of the most conspicuous public characters of the 
country. 

The notices of those events of the war in which 
General Taylor was not immediately concerned, arc 
given in order to render the work more complete ; 
and the biographical sketches of distinguished officers 
are introduced with the same view. Some materials 
for these sketches, having been received by me too 
late for insertion in the body of the work, have been 
thrown into the appendix. 

To the President of the United States, the Sec- 
retary of War, and other official authorities at the 
seat of government, I am under obligations for facili- 
ties afforded me in procuring despatches, and docu- 
ments, as well as to my friends Mr. James Madison 
Cutts, and Dr. J. F. May, of Washington, for their 
friendly aid in effecting the same object. I am also 
indebted to Mr. Moulton of New York for an abundant 
supply of materials relating to the battle of Buena 
Vista. My thanks arc also due to the family of the 
lamented Major Vinton for the admirable portrait of 
General Taylor, drawn by the skilful hand which 



6 PREFACE. 

now lies cold in the tomb. Mr. Root of Philadelphia 
and Mr. Van Loan of Washington, will also be pleased 
to accept my thanks, — the former for his excellent 
daguerreotype of Commodore Conner, and the latter 
for his spirited daguerreotypes of Lieutenant Colonel 
May and Brigadier General Shields. To other 
friends whom I am not at liberty to mention publicly, 
I am under still further obligations. 

Like all cotemporary biography, this work is liable 
to error from a variety of causes which it is unneces- 
sary to point out. I hope it will be found generally 
accurate ; and I shall always hold mj^self in readi- 
ness to correct any error which future research may 
discover. 




^ a;' i\\ T r hL:m^. ^ 





CHAPTER I. "■''^• 

Early Life. Scnice in the War of 1S12, 13 

CHAPTER n. 

Senicc in the Florida War. Battle of Okeechobee, .... 26 

CHAPTER nr. 

Commencement of the Mexican War, 38 

CHAPTER IV. 
Battle of Palo Alto, ^'^ 

CHAPTER V. 
Battle of Resaca de la Palma, 87 

CHAPTER VI. 

Capture of Matamoras, ^^ 

CHAPTER Vn. 

Storming of Monterey, 107 

CHAPTER Vni. 
Operations in New Mexico and California. 137 

CHAPTER IX. 
General Taylor at Monterey, 161 

CHAPTER X. 
Battle of Buena Vista, l'-'^ 

CHAPTER XI. 
Battle of Buena Vista continued, 1^^ 

CHAPTER XII. 
Events, suhse.iuent to the Battle of Buena Vista, . • • .221 

CHAPTER Xm. 

Siege of Vera Cruz, 

CHAPTER XIV. 

249 
Battle of Sierra Gordo, 

CHAPTER XV. 

261 
Conclusion, . . * 



8 CONTENTS. . 

APPENDIX. 

General Taylor's Appearance, . 277 

General Taylor's Family, 278 

General Taylor's Humanity, 278 

The Council at Palo Alto, 279 

General Taylor at Buena Vista, 280 

General Taylor's Pony, 284 

Buena Vista, 288 

Colonel Davenport, . . 291 

General Taylor's Benevolence to his Soldiers, 294 

General Wool and the Volunteers, ....... 295 

The Indianians at Buena Vista, 299 

Death of Captain Taggart, ........ 299 

The night after the Battle of Buena Vista, 300 

Spanish Opinions of the War, 301 

Doniphan's Expedition, 302 

Flying Artillery, 303 

The Black Flag, 303 

Bombardment of Vera Cruz, 305 

The Capitulation, . . 310 

Sierra Gordo, . 315 

Pronunciation of Mexican Names, 320 

John R. Vinton, Brevet Major, U. S. Army, 322 

Colonel de Russy's Official Report of the Expedition to Huejutla, . 326 

Documents found on the Battle Field of Buena Vista, . . . 334 

Discharges from the Army, 34 1 

General Wool's March, 342 

General Taylor's Politics, 344 












LIST OF ENGRAVINGS, 

ON STEEL, 

ENORAVED BT W. G. ARMSTRONG. 

PAOa. 

Portrait of General Taylor, frqji a Drawing by Brevet 

Major Vinton Frontispiece. 

Portrait of Lieutenant Colonel C. A. May, frox a Daguer- 
reotype BY Van Loan. 67 

Portrait of General Wohtu, from tue Original by Fende- 

ricu. 99 

Portrait of General Wool, from an Original in possession 

OF THE Family 136 

Portrait of General Twiggs, from a Duawing by Mr. Croome. 174 

Portrait of Commodore Conner, from a Daguerreotype by 

Root. 225 

Portrait of General Scott, from the Oiuginal by Healy. 2-iO 

Portrait of General Shields, from a Daguerreotype by Van 

Loan 249 

9 



LIST OF ENGRAVINGS ON WOOD. 

Chiefly from Drav/ingS; by Croome & Devereaux. 



Portrait of General Taylor, ..... 


PAOB. 

Title. 


Head Piece to Preface, ..... 


3 


Tail Piece « . 


6 


Head Piece to Table of Contents, .... 


7 


Tail Piece «i « .... 


8 


Head Piece to List of Embellishments, 


9 


Tail Piece " " . . . . 


12 


Head Piece to Chapter I., Indian Warfare, . 


13 


Ornamental Letter, ...... 


13 


Defence of Fort Harrison, ..... 


22 


Head Piece to Chapter II., ..... 
Ornamental Letter, . . • • " • 


26 


26 


Ornamental! Letter, ...... 


28 


Battle of Okeechobee, ..... 


32 


Tail Piece,! ....... 


37 


Head Piece to Chapter HI., ..... 


38 


Ornamental Letter, ...... 


33 


(Jorpus Christi and the American Camp, 

Point Isabel) 


44 


46 


ARanchero| ...... 


50 


Fort BrowTi,' ....... 


58 


American Officer and Mexican Guide, 

Gallant Actiin of Captain Thornton, .... 


62 


63 


Walker's Expedition setting out, .... 


66 


Head Piece to Chapter IV., Major Kmggold, . 


67 


Ornamental Letter. Flymg Artillery, 


67 


Death of Major Ringgold, ..... 


79 


Lieutenant Blake rcconnoitering at Palo Alto, 


86 


Head Piece to Chapter V., General Arista, . 


87 


Ornamental Letter, ...... 


87 


General Taylor ordering Captain May to charge with his dragoons. 


90 


Duncan's Battery at Resaca de la Palma, 


92 


Tail Piece, . ....•• 


97 


10 





LIST OF EMBELLISHMENTS. 



Plan of the Battles of Palo Alto and Resaca dc la Palma, 
Head Piece to Chapter VI. City of iNIatamoras, 
Ornamental Letter, ..... 

Market Place of Matamoras, .... 

Tail Piece, ...... 

Head Piece to Chapter \U. Paredes, 

Ornamental Letter, ..... 

The Citadel, Bishop's Palace and Independence Hill, 
General Twigrgs, ..... 

Bishop's Palace, Monterey, .... 

General Worth at the Siege of Monterey. The Bishop's Palace in the 
distance, ..... 

General Anjpudia, ..... 

Tail Piece, ...... 

Plan of the Siege of Monterey, 

Head Piect to Chapter VIU., .... 

Omamentil Letter. Figure of Peace, with Olive Branch. 
Santa Fe, New Mexico, .... 

Monterey, Alta California, .... 

Tail Piece, ...... 

Head Piece to Chapter IX., .... 

Ornamental Letter, ..... 

Monterey, from the Bishop's Palace, . 

General Santa Anna, ..... 

Mexicans drinking Santa Anna's health, 

General Taylor taking leave of the Veterans, . 

Tail Piece, ...... 

Head Piece to Chapter X. Clay's Monument. 
Ornamental Letter, ..... 

Major Dix rallying the Indiana men, . 

GcnerallTaylor at Bucna Vista, 

Battle of*Buena Vista, .... 

Plan of tne Battle of Bucna Vista, 

Interview of Generals Taylor and Wool, . . 

Death of Colonel Clay, .... 

Death of Colonel Yell, .... 

Tail Piece. Drinking Scene. 

Head Piece to Chapter XI. Mexicans wounded at Buena Vista, 

Ornamental Letter, ..... 

Lieutenant Colonel C. A. May, 

TaU Piece, 



12 



LIST OF EMBELLISHMENTS. 



Head Piece to Chapter XII,, 
Ornamental Letter, 


. 


PAan 

221 
221 


TaU Piece, . 




224 


Head Piece to Cliapter XIII. 


Castle of San Juan de Ulloa, . 


225 


Ornamental Letter, . 




225 


Tampico, 

Landing of the American Tr 
Seige of Vera Cruz, 
Tail Piece, . 


jops at Vera Cruz, 


231 
232 
244 
248 


Head Piece to Chapter XIV. 
Ornamental Letter, . 


• 


249 
249 


Battle of Sierra Gordo, 




252 


Jalapa, 

Tail Piece. Sentinel, 




253 

260 


Head Piece to Chapter XV. 


General Taylor's Kitchen, 


261 


Ornamental Letter, 


. 


261 


Tail Piece, . 




273 


Appendix, 

Head Piece to Appendix, 
Ornamental Letter, . 
Tail Piece, 





274 
277 
277 
346 









CHAPTER I. 

Igarls Eifc==-^ca'£i*« in t^e mux of a©aS. 

EXT in importance to the interest excited 
by the performance of heroic deeds, is the 
curiosity prevalent among all classes, to 
learn something of the life, character, and 
general qualifications of the men who have 
shared the glories or perils of those deeds. 
In most cases this feeling is stronger or 
weaker in proportion to the approximation 
of the actions to our own age and country, 
as well as to their national importance. 
If the action be the gaining of a battle, or the preservation of public 
honor, and it take place now, not only is the cry of exultation loud, 
but with it comes an imperative demand for the history of its 
achievers. 

A prominent illustration of this principle is now before tlio Ameri<-an 
peoplo. At a lime when hosts of armed foes surrounded a handlul 
of men, whose escape appeai-ed utterly impossible, and when a whole 




14 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

country was filled with dejection and anxiety for the result, one 
master-spirit suddenly arose, and by a series of the most rapid and 
brilliant strokes, retrieved liis army, sustained the national honor, 
and won for himself immortal laurels. 

The man whose career has thus burst like a meteor on the national 
horizon, has every eye concentrated upon him with wonder and 
admiration ; and with these feelings is mingled another — a desire to 
know something of his character and history. 

The ancestors of General Taylor emigrated from England nearly 
two centuries ago, and setded in the eastern part of Virginia. His 
father, Richard Taylor, was born in that state, where he resided 
until about 1790. Zachary was his second son, and was bom in 
November, 1784, in Orange county, Vii^inia ; he is therefore a native 
of the same state which gave birth to Washington, Jefferson, Madison, 
Harrison, and many other illustrious Americans. Besides Zachary, 
his father had four sons, Hancock, George, William, and Joseph, 
and three daughters, Elizabeth, Sarah, and Emily. 

Richard Taylor seems to have possessed a full share of the rest- 
less spirit of active adventure which distinguished the first settlers of 
America. Accordingly, in a little while after Boone had explored 
Kentucky, w-e find him journeying to that wilderness. Here he 
was not only unappalled by the horrors of a country called by the 
natives the dark and bloody ground, and by his hair-breadth escapes 
from the Indians, but he actually formed the design of penetrating to 
New Orleans on foot. This he accomplished alone, through the 
forests and wilderness stretching along the Mississij)pi, and returned 
by ship to Virginia. Whan the revolution broke out, the courage 
and zeal which he had manifested in resisting the encroachments of 
the mother country, caused him to receive an appointment as colonel 
in the Continental army, the duties of which office he performed in 
a manner that fulfilled the high hopes which had been entertained 
of him. He fought in several of the most important battles of the 
north, and among others, with Washington at Trenton. At the 
close of the war he retired to his farm in Virginia, where he remained 
until about the year 1790, when he emigrated with his family to 
Kentucky. In this journey he was accompanied by Colonels 
Croghan and Bullitt, both of which names became afterwards famous 



^ EARLY LIFE. 15 

in the annals of iheir state. They settled upon a spot* noted for 
the long and pcciiharly bloody wars of the Indians, and these hrave 
men soon found an ample field in which to display their courage and 
hardihood. In the burnings and scalpings which happened almost 
weekly, Colonel Taylor so distinguished himself that he was soon 
looked upon as the champion of the white selUers, and the bulwark 
of their village. After a long time the attacks of the savages became 
less frequent, and the population had shaken olF their fear at the 
Indian name, and began to assume the appearance of a regular com- 
munity. Still the usefulness of Colonel Taylor did not cease with 
the causes which had drau^n it forlli. He became as distinguished 
a citizen as he had formerly been a soldier, and was entrusted with 
the duties of several very important and responsible stations. He 
was one of the fraraers of the constitution of Kentucky ; represented 
Jefferson county and Louisville city for many years in both branches 
of the state legislature, and was a member of the electoral colleges 
which voted for Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and Clay. 

Such are a few points in the historj^ of a man whose name will 
ever be dear to the American people, as the father of the conqueror 
of Mexico. All allow him to have been of unflinching perseverance, 
indomitable courage, and zeal and ability to perform the duties of the 
various oflices and stations which he was called to fill. 

Under the parentage of such a man it is nothing singular that young 
Zachary should early have imbibed a taste for military life. We are 
told that such was the case ; and the common occurrences which daily 
surrounded him tended to foster this feeling. His nursery talcs 
were stories of Indian butchery which had but recently been perpe- 
trated upon the neighbors of his parents ; and as he grew larger, he 
often heard the shriek of the maiden and innocent, the sharp crack 
of the rifle that announced their death, and then the fierce conflict 
between the father and his savage foe. He learned to barricade his 
own door, and spend the night in watchful intensity, while looking 
out upon nothing but gloomy forests, and some burning cottage far 
in the dist;ince. 

• TIic coloncrs farm adjoineJ that of Colonel Croi^haii's father, well known 
as Locust Grove; and the wannest friendship existed between the two families, 
ariong not only from tics of relationship, but from congenial feeUngs and habit& 



16 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

At the age of six years Zachary was placed at school, under the 
direction of a Mr. Ayers. Even here he was in continual danger 
of the tomahawk, and many of the larger scholars were obliged to go 
armed. While here, young Zachary became distinguished among 
his companions for his activity, decision and bluntness of character, 
modesty of demeanor, and general intelligence. These are shining 
qualities in a school-boy, and he soon became the acknowledged and 
general favorite of a large portion of his comrades. From a child, his 
mind possessed a keen relish for military narratives, and in youth he 
began to long for an opportunity to display himself in the field. 
There still remain of him many anecdotes, all tending to illustrate 
his fondness for activity and adventure. 

The schoolmaster of General Taylor is still living in the town of 
Preston, near Norwicli, Connecticut, where he was born. Though 
more than seventy years of age, he takes great pleasure in listening 
to the achievements of his pupil, and in recounting anecdotes of him 
when a school-boy. He represents him to have been an excellent 
scholar, possessing an active and inquisitive mind, studious in his 
habits, though of sanguine temperament, quick of apprehension, and 
promising fair for a career of usefulness in life. He had mental 
qualities of though tfulness, judgment, shrewdness, and stability, not 
often found united in youth. But a pecuUar trait of his character, 
and one not often connected with a sanguine temperament, was firm- 
ness. This, united with the above named qualities, is an important 
characteristic in a soldier. Upon many occasions, sudden and 
Avarm impulses, when properly directed by judgment and firmness, 
have produced grand achievements ; and though a man may be brave 
to an eminent degree, yet a phlegmatic temperament is calculated to 
restrain tlie exercise of his bravery at a time when it might lead to 
glorious results. 

Upon leaving school, young Taylor continued tlie exercise of 
those sports and labors which suited the ardor of his temperament. 
He often performed feats of strength and difilculty wiiich would ex- 
cite the wonder and applause of friends, and rivalry of others. His 
fondness for military life has been mentioned, and it is related that 
even before he commenced a course of rigid tactical instruction, he 
might often be seen with his comrades practising llie different evolu- 



^ EARLY LIFE. 17 

tions of a company-drill, with as much gravity and emulation as 
tliough under orders before an enemy. 

An opportunity was not long wanting for the exercise of the talent 
thus gradually developing. The diJliculties between the United 
States and England, relative to interruptions of our commerce and 
the impressment of seamen, now presented so alarming an aspect, 
that an early nipture was confidently anticipated. 'J'his was an 
excellent opportunity for many of the wild, young spirits of the west 
to wreak their vengeance against an enemy, who, though respected 
in time of peace, was the object of bitter animosity in war. Volunteer 
companies were organized in every part of the Union, and the 
"citizen soldiery" became an object of great national importance. 

AVhilc these events were in progress, the whole country was 
electrified by the intelligence that a British armed vessel, the Leopard, 
had fired into the American frigate Chesapeake, killing three of her 
men, wounding eighteen, and subsequently carrying away four 
others of her crew. This increased the popular indignation 
against Great Britain, as well as the spirit of determined resistance 
to her attacks. 

Upon reception of the news of this affair, young Taylor applied 
for a commission in the army, and was appointed by President 
Jefferson a first lieutenant in the 7th regiment of infantry. This 
step was highly pleasing to his fadier, who had been instrumental in 
its accomplishment. 

Meanwhile the difficulties between the two countries daily in- 
creased. The causes of these diflSculties are generally known ; but 
it would be well to revert to them for a few moments, in order 
thoroughly to understand the position of our western army, and 
especially the circumstances attending the defence of Fort Harrison. 

England having long been the ruling maritime power of the world, 
made it part of her policy to watch with jealous vigilance the move- 
ments of every navy which ploughed the waters. During the war 
between her and the French Directory, not only was this vigilance 
redoubled upon the vessels of the hostile nation, but even upon 
neutrals. In 1793 she issued an "order in council," by virtue of 
which " all vessels laden wholly or in part with bread stuffs, bound 
to any port in France, or places occupied by French armies, were 

3 



18 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

required to be carried into England, and tlieir cargoes either there dis 
posed of, or security given that they should be sold only in the ports 
of" a country in amity with Great Britain." The same year another 
order was issued, directing " all vessels laden with goods, the pro- 
duce of any colony of France, or carrying provisions or supplies for 
such colony, to be seized and brought in for adjudication." At 
the same time she claimed the right to muster the crews of all neutral 
vessels, and take from them for her own use any sailors who had 
been born in England, or who were believed to have been born 
there. This was called impressment, and under its sanction 
hundreds of American citizens were forced into the British navy as 
English sailors. In 1806 England declared the whole sea-coast 
bordering on the British Channel in a state of blockade, and in 
November of the same year, that " all the ports and places of France, 
her allies, or any other country at war with England, or from which 
the British flag was excluded, and all their colonies, to be in a state 
of blockade ; and all commerce in articles the produce or manufacture 
of such countries to be unlawful." The result of these proceedings 
was the war of 1812. 

The commencement of hostilities found the Americans but ill 
prepared for a successful struggle, and perhaps no part of their vast 
area was more defenceless than the Northwestern territory. The 
settlements were thin and widely separated, and from the extent of 
ground even a large army could not act so as to protect and cover 
all. The Indians east of the Mississippi numbered 100,000, mostly 
hostile to the United States, and from that number, at least 10,000 
warriors could be mustered. These were connected with the vast 
hordes west of that river, and with about one-third of their number 
who resided in Canada. With almost all these tribes the British 
had formed treaties of friendship, and had established stations in 
different parts of their territory, from whicli they were supplied with 
ammunition and military stores. Their great chief, Tecumseh, 
had long been perfecting a scheme by which he hoped to unite all 
the Indians from the great lakes to the gulf, in one confederation, 
whose eflbrts were to be directed against the western settlers. Be- 
sides all this, the proximity to the British settlements of Canada 
and New Britam afforded the enemy every facility for precipitating 



* SERVICK IN THE WAR OF 1812. 19 

their troops upon a tVoiitior where they would meet willi scarcely a 
tenable tort. 

WitJi a view to defend tliis territory, and excite, if possible, the 
Canadians to revolt, William Hull, governor of the Michitran terri- 
tory, was appointed a brigadier general, witli the command of the 
forces to operate on Canada. He joined llie army at Detroit, and 
on the 12th of July, 1812, made a descent upon Canada. Upon 
his entrance into that province, he published a proclamation, inviting 
all die inhabitants to leave the British standard, and denouncing 
heavy penalties to all those who should either oppose his progress 
or join the Indians. This invitation was attended with considerable 
success ; but while his allies were looking for some active operations, 
tlie general suddenly recrossed the river to Detroit. Here he was 
soon afterward attacked by General Brock, governor of Canada, and 
to the utter astonishment of his whole army, surrendered the entire 
command into the hands of his antagonist. 

The loss of the whole northwestern army, the fortress of Detroit, 
and the military posts of that region, together with the whole territory 
of Michigan within sixty days after the declaration of war, was 
a subject of universal astonishment and alarm. In consequence of 
it, the great body of Indians, ever ready to join tlie successful party, 
flocked to die British standard, prepared to renew their ravages with 
increased severity. The state of Ohio, and the region now forming 
Indiana and Illinois became dangerously exposed. Large numbers 
of Indians were contained within their borders, who, in connection 
with those without, would now be induced to join the enemy^ Had 
the army under General Hull been successful, and the British depot 
at Maiden broken up, the savages, deprived of their supplies, would 
have been obliged to remain neutral, or have been awed into sub- 
mission. 

The alarm occasioned by tliis disaster did not, liowevcr, hinder 
the Americans from adopting measures to retrieve it. Volunteers 
flocked to the standard of their country in great numbers, burning 
with zeal to revenge its disgrace. Aided by the indefatigable exer- 
tions of the governors of the territories, their army soon amounted 
to eight thousand men, who were placed under the command of 
General Harrison, governor of Indiana, and a brigadier in the 



20 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

United States service, in whose talents and experience the western 
country had the most perfect confidence. Their object was to sub- 
due the Indians of the west, and to recover what had been lost at 
Detroit. 

Such was the origin of the war of 1812, and its commencement 
in the Northwestern territory. At the very first stroke the American 
loss was heavy, and to reinspire that confidence in the eflUciency of 
their arms, which the nation had ever felt, it became necessary for 
every leading officer, however small his command, to act with con- 
summate prudence and bravery. Small forts were scattered around 
in various directions, and the defence of these was entrusted only 
to those in whom General Harrison had the most perfect confidence. 
One of these was a small and weak stockade fort, called in honor 
of the commanding general. Fort Harrison. It was situated on the 
Wabash river, m Indiana, the very heart of the Indian country, and 
had for some time been threatened by the Miami and other large 
tribes. The selection of a commander for this station was a subject 
of considerable importance, but it at length devolved upon Captain 
Taylor. In this appointment the general was no doubt influenced 
by the success of Taylor in his many previous skirmishes with the 
Indians, for which he had been advanced from the rank of lieutenant 
to that of captain. This was under Governor Shelby, previous to 
the commencement of hostilities with Great Britain, 

Upon assuming the command of Fort Harrison, Taylor not only 
found the works in a miserable condition, but also that of the small garri- 
son of fifty men, all excepting about twenty were disabled by sickness. 
Notwithstanding these discouraging circumstances, he set himself 
earaesdy to work in order to render the fort defensible. The principal 
defences consisted of an upper and lower blockhouse, and a fort with 
two bastions. These he strengthened by other small fortifications, and 
especially by judicious arrangements of his fire arms, and took every 
measure to supply his men with ample provisions of food and am- 
munition, and to inspire them with confidence in themselves. 

The fii-st indications of an attack were manifested on Thursday, 
the 3d of September. A delo<:ation from the Miami Indians then 
informed the captain that the " I'rophot," brother of Tecumsch, was 
advancing with his party toward the fort, and tliat the Miamis were 



SKRVICK L\ Tin; WAR OF 1812. 21 

about to retire from tliat region. On ilie same evening two young 
citizens were making hay at the distance of about four hundred 
yards from the fort. Soon after retreat beating, four giuis were 
licard in diat direction, and the garrison were immediately impressed 
with tlie belief that the men had been surprised and murdered by 
the Indians. On account of the lateness of the hour it was not 
thought prudent to search for them then, and their non-appearance 
after a long and anxious watch convinced the captain that his suspi- 
cions of dieir fate were correct. NoUiing further ti-anspired that 
night, and die next morning at eight o'clock a corporal with a small 
party was detached to investigate the result of die firing, if it could 
be done without too much risk of being drawn into an ambuscade. 
The corporal soon sent a messenger back to the fort, informing the 
commander that he had found the two dead bodies, and requesting 
furtlier orders. A cart and oxen were sent out, and the murdered 
men brought tothe fort. Each had been shot with two balls, scalped, 
and horribly mangled. They were buried within the fort. This 
circumstance caused the garrison to redouble their vigilance. Addi- 
tional sentinels were posted, and the officers of the guard directed to 
walk the round all night, in order to prevent, if possible, a surprise. 

Late on the evening of the 4th, an old man named Joseph Lenar, 
with between thirty and forty Indians, arrived from the Prophet's 
town with a white flag. Among diese were ten women, and die 
men were the chiefs from the different tribes composing the Prophet's 
party. The object of this mission, as stated by a Shawnee who 
spoke English, was to obtain another interview on the following 
morning, and to buy provisions. There could be no doubt, how- 
ever, that their true object was to spy the strength of the garrison, 
and throw diem off their guard. Accordingly, after retreat beating, 
the men's arms were examined, and Uieir cartridges completed to 
sixteen rounds per man. So miserable, however, was die health 
of the soldiers, diat the captain despaired of a successful defence in 
case of an attack from a large force — even his small guard of six 
privates and two non-commissioned otTicers were not able to do ser- 
vice every day. 

Soon after die departure of the Indians the captain was obliged 
to retire to rest in consequence of debility from a late violent attack 



22 LIFK OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

of fever. His sleep was short. Before reiiring he had cautioned 
the guard to be vigilant, and take every precaution to prevent sur- 
prise, and at eleven o'clock he was awakened by a shot from one 
of the sentinels. He immediately arose, and ordered each man to 
his post. At this moment the orderly sergeant having charge of the 
upper blockhouse, called out that a body of Indians had fired the 
lower one. Under cover of the night they had accomplished this, 
unseen by the garrison, and they now opened a pretty active fire, 
which was returned by the Americans. The cry of fire direw the 
whole fort into confusion ; the soldiers gave up all for lost, when they 
saw the flames communicate with a quantity of whisky in the block- 
house, and rush up in wide sheets toward the barracks, which made 
part of the fortifications. Some women and children who were in 
the fort ran among the garrison, imploring for succor, and filling the 
air with their lamentations. This, with the bowlings of hundreds 
of Indians, rendered that night-scene one suflicient to appal the 
stoutest heart. But amid all this uproar one man remained cool 
and determined, — that man was the young commander of the fort, 
and to his self-possession was owing the safety of the garrison. Im- 
mediately on perceiving the flames, he ordered water to be brought 
from the well in buckets, but in consequence of debility and tlie in- 
fluence of terror upon tlie soldiers, tliese orders were but languidly 
executed. He then informed the men that their only means of 
safety was to keep the end of the fortification nearest the blockliouse 
confinually wet, that by so doing not only might the whole row of 
buildings be saved, but an opening of only eighteen or twenty feet 
left for tlie Indians to enter after the house was consumed, and, that 
even here tlieir entrance might be prevented by die erection of a 
temporary breastwork. The chance of escape from imminent 
danger inspired the men with a firmness bordering on desperation. 
Under the direction of Dr. Clark those wlio were altle, mounted the 
tops of the houses amid a shower of balls, and in a very short time 
had thrown ofi" the greater part of the roof nearest to the burning 
building. This was done with the loss of but one man killed and 
two wounded. During this time two of the men leaped from the 
pickets and ran toward tlie enemy. Their cowardice was but ill 
rewarded,— one of them was killed, and the otlier returned before 



SERVICE IN THE WAR OF 1812. 23 

day to the gate, wliorc he begged "lor God's sake" to be admitted. 
Not being recognized, his attempt was supposed to be a stratagem of 
the Indians to gain admittance into the fort, and he was lired upon. 
The shot not taking effect, he ran round to the other bastion where 
his voice was recognized, and he was directed by Dr. Clark to lie 
down close to the pickets behind an empty barrel. He there re- 
mained until daylight, when he was admitted. His arm was broken 
in a shocking manner, and he was otherwise greatly mangled. 

"While a part of tlie garrison were thus demolishing the roof, the 
men below were using every exertion to prevent the destruction of 
the barracks. They were several times on fire, and extinguished 
only by the most active efforts. During the whole time, and while 
laboring at their breastwork, the men were exposed to a heavy fire 
from the Indians, as well as to a shower of arrows which rained 
around them in great quantities. Before morning the work was ad- 
vanced to the height of a man, with the loss of but one soldier killed. 

The approach of daylight enabled the Americans to aim with 
more precision and success, and at six o'clock their fire had become 
60 destructive as to cause the Indians to remove from the reach of 
their guns. At this disappointment of their expected booty, the 
savages became furious ; and driving up the horses and a number of 
hogs belonging to the citizens, they shot them in front of the fort. 
They also seized all the catde belonging to private individuals, 
amounting to sixty-five head, together with the oxen, which were 
public property. 

As the enemy continued in sight that day, the American com- 
mander was busily occupied in repairing the damages of the fort. 
The vacancy caused by the burning of the blockhouse was filled up 
by a strong row of pickets, obtained by demolishing the guard house. 
The other defences were also strengthened, and provision made 
against a second attempt to fire the buildings. 

The Indians, however, had been so severely handled that they 
did not consider it advisable to renew the attack. They conlmued 
within sight until the morning of the 6th, when the garrison were 
relieved of their presence. The loss of the Indians had been heavy, 
but as they were very numerous, each dead body was carried from 
the field. Notwithstanding the apparent friendluiess of tlie Miamis 



24 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

on the evening of the assault, there is little doubt but that the whole 
of their tribe was among the Prophet's party. 

After the attack the garrison were obliged to suljsist upon a scanty- 
supply of green corn, aU tlieir provisions having been intercepted or 
destroyed by the enemy. Captain Taylor used great exertions to for- 
ward despatches to General Harrison, but as every road was guarded 
by strong parties of Indians, his messengers were obliged to return. 
The following letter will convey some idea of the difficulties under 
•which he labored. 

''Fort Harrison, Sept. 13th, 1812. 

"Dear Sir: — I wrote to you on the 10th instant, giving you an 
account of an attack on this place, as well as my situation, which 
account I attempted to send by water ; but the two men whom I 
despatched in a canoe after night found the river so well guarded 
that they were obliged to return. The Indians had built a fire on 
tlie bank of the river a short distance below die garrison, which gave 
them an opportunity of seeing any craft that might attempt to pass, 
and were waiting with a canoe ready to intercept it. I expect the 
fort as well as the road to Vincennes is as well or belter watched 
than the river. But my situation compels me to make one other 
attempt by land, and my orderly sergeant and one otlier man set out 
to-night, with strict orders to avoid the road in the day-time, and 
depend entirely on the woods, although neither of them have ever 
been in Vincennes by land, nor do they know any thing of the 
country ; but I am in hopes diat they will reach you in safety. I 
send them with great reluctance, from their ignorance of the woods. 
I think it very probable there is a large party of Indians waylaying 
the road between this and Vincennes, likely about the Narrows, for 
the purpose of intercepting any party that may be coming to this 
place, as the cattle they got here will supply them plentifully with 
provisions for some time to come. Please, &c., 

"His excellency, Governor Harrison." Z. Taylor." 

At the time of the writing of this letter Colonel Russell was with- 
in fifteen miles of Fort Harrison, with a reinforcement of six hundred 
mounted rangers, and five hundred infantry. He arrived on the 
16th, to the utter surprise of Captain Taylor, who had not heard 



SERVICE IN THE WAR OF 1812. 05 

of even his approacli. Some time after the garrison was further 
reinforced by about 4000 men under Major General Hopkins. 

On the llth of November die army left Fort Harrison on an ex- 
pedition to die Prophet's town, which diey reached on the 19lh. 
They destroyed tlie town, which consisted of about forty huts, and 
die Kickapoo village of one hundred and sixty, together with all the 
standing corn. They also reconnoitered the surrounding country, 
and constructed several works of defence. In every operation 
Captain Taylor took an efficient part, and we find him mentioned 
in die despatches of Hopkins as an officer who had rendered 
"prompt and effi3Ctual support in every instance." 

On his return from this expedition Taylor found a package for 
him from the seat of government. This, on being opened, was dis- 
covered to contain a commission from President INIadison, conferring 
on him Uie rank of brevet major, as a reward for his gallant defence 
of Fort Harrison, of which it bore the date. This is said to have 
been the first brevet ever conferred in the American army. 

Major Taylor continued actively engaged in the war of 1812 
until its close, although in consequence of his not being entrusted 
with any other separate command it is difficult to trace his progress. 
The skill and bravery, iiowever, which he displayed in the defence 
of Fort Harrison, inspired both his comrades and the country with 
confidence in his superior abilities as an officer ; and indeed such a 
defence under the trying difficulties of desertion, conflagration, and a 
savage foe, to whose numbers his own were but a handful, was 
sufficient to establish his reputation as a soldier of sterling qualities.* 



• Early in life General Taylor married a lady of Virginia, whose family 
emigrated to Kentucky, and who was some relation to his father. The general 
is related either iiy marriage or Mood to many of the noblest families of 
America — Preston, Gaines, Clay, Pendleton, Monroe, and others. He has 
had five children, one of which died in early life. The eldest daughter is the 
lady of Dr. Ward, a surgeon of high standing in the arm}-. The second, 
Sarah Knox, culled after General Knox, and always known by her second 
name, married Lieutenant JetTcrson Davis, now a brigadier, and late meml)er 
of Congress from Mississippi. She was extremely accomplished, both in per- 
son and education, but survived her marriage only a few months. Elizabeth, 
(known only as "Betty Taylor,") was educated at Madame Grelaud's, in 
Philadelphia, and is now with her mother at Baton Kouge. Richard, the only 
son, about twenty-four years old, was many years at Cambridge, but is now 
also at Baton Rouge. 

4 




CHAPTER II. 

FTER the treaty of Ghent, in 
1815, Major Taylor remained in 
the West for several years, moving 
from one post to another, as the 
^ interest of the service called him. 
In 1832, he was promoted to the 
rank of colonel ; and in an early 
stage of die war in Florida he was 
ordered to that country. 

This war is remarkable for its 
obstinacy, and the singular manner 
in which it was conducted. The 
man who had become a veteran in 
open battle, when he entered Florida was obliged, to a certain ex- 
tent, to learn an entirely new course of tactics. 'J'he Indians con 
cealed themselves within dense swamps, where it was impossible 
for an army to follow them ; and from tliese they sallied at night, 
in order to cut up small parties, and devast;ite the country. The 
extent of these swamps scattered the operations over so large a 
space, that it was impossible for an army to defend the country 
with any degree of efficiency. In a short time tlie war became un- 
popular widi tlie soldiers themselves, who were exposed to every 




FLORIDA WAR. 27 

danger, without the power of properly defending themselves ; and 
the fomniand of the army in Forida, l>ecamc a plirase, w^hose meaning 
was a concentration of difficulty and peril. 

In this war few officers distinguished themselves more than 
Colonel Taylor. He was continually in active service, and won for 
himself the esteem of both officers and soldiers. But his greatest 
acliievement, and that for which he is principally remembered in 
connection with Florida, was the batde of Okce-Chobee. 

This battle was fought on the 25th of December, 1837, between 
the Americans, under Colonel Taylor, and the Seminoles and 
Mickasukies, commanded by their chiefs. Alligator and Sam Jones. 
The United States army had now been in the Florida service for 
two years, and the colonel commanded the first brigade, stationed, 
at Fort Gardner, south of the VViihlacoochee. On the 19th of 
December he received a communication from Major-General Jesup, 
informing him that all hopes of bringing the war to a close by nego- 
tiation through the interference or mediation of the Cherokee dele- 
gation, were at an end, and that Sam Jones, with the Mickasukies, 
had determined to " fight to the last." It also directed him to pro- 
ceed with the least possible delay, against any portion of the enemy 
he might hear of, and to destroy or capture them. 

The next morning after receiving this communication, the colonel 
left an adequate force under two officers, to protect the depot, and 
inarched with the remainder of his command, having with him but 
twelve days' rations, his means of transportation not enabling him 
to carry more. His force was composed of Captain Morris's com- 
pany of the fourth artillery, consisting of thirty-five men ; the first 
infantry, under Colonel Davenport,* one hundred and ninety-seven 
strong ; the fourth infantry, under Lieutenant-Colonel Foster, two 
hundred and seventy-four ; the Missouri volunteers, one hundred 
and eighty ; Morgan's spies, forty-seven ; and tliirty pioneers, 
thirteen pontoniers, ajid seventy Delaware Indians ; making in all, 
exclusive of officers, one thousand and thirty-two men. The 
greater part of the Shawnees had been detached, and the remainder 
refused to accompany him, under pretext tliat many of them were 
sick, and the rest williout moccasins. 



28 



LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 



f 




LrirJ HE army moved down the west 
side of the Kissimmee, m a south- 
ern course, towards Lake Istopoga. 
The colonel was induced to take 
this route for several reasons. He 
had learned that a portion of the 
enemy M'ere in that direction, and 
imagined that if General Jesup 
should fall in with the Mickasukies 
and drive them before him, they 
might attempt to escape by crossing 
the Kissimmee, from the east to the 
svc'st side of the peninsula, between 
Fort Gardner and its entrance into 
Okee-Chobee, in which case he 
might be near at hand to intercept them. He also wished to overawe 
such of the Indians as had been making propositions to give themselves 
up, but had been slow to fulfil their promise ; to erect block-houses and 
a small picket work on the Kissimmee, forty or fifty miles below 
the fort, for a third depot. By this means he hoped to obtain a 
knowledge of the country, as he had no guide to rely on, and also 
to open a communication with Colonel Smith, who was operating 
by his orders, up the Caloosehatchee or Sanybel river. 

In the evening of his first day's march. Colonel Taylor met the 
Indian Chief Jumper, with his family and a part of his band, consist- 
ing of fifteen men, some of them with families and a few negroes, on 
his way to deliver himself up in conformity to a previous arrange- 
ment with the Colonel. The whole consisted of sixty three persons, 
and were conducted by Captain Parks, a half breed at the head of 
the friendly Indians, both Shawnees and Delawares, The army 
encamped that night near the spot, and the next morning having sent 
on Jumper and his party to Fort Frazer, the Colonel continued his 
march, at the same time sending forward three Seminoles to gain 
intelligence concerning the position of the enemy. About noon of 
the same day he sent forward one battalion of Gentry's regiment, 
under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Price, who was ordered 
" to pick up any stragglers that might fall in his way ; to encamp two 



I'LOiilDA WAU. 29 

or three miles in advance of the main force ; to act with great cir- 
cumspection, and to communicate promptly any occurrence of im- 
porUince that might take place in his vi i:;ity." 

About ten o'clock in the morning, T ylor received a note from 
Colonel Price, staling that the three Seminoles sent forward in the 
morning had returned ; that they had been near where Alligator had 
encamped, twelve or fifteen miles in advance of his present position ; 
that Alligator had left there with a part of his fimiily four days 
before, under pretext of separating his friends and relatives from the 
Mickasukies, preparatory to his surrendering with them ; that there 
were several lamilics remaining at the camp referred to, who wished 
to give themselves up, and would remain there until Colonel Taylor 
took possession of them, but who were in great danger of being 
carried away that night by the Mickasukies, who were encamped at 
no great distance from them. 

In consequence of this intelligence Colonel Taylor put himself at 
the head of his mounted men a little after midnight, and after direct- 
ing Lieutenant Colonel Davenport to follow him early in the morning, 
he commenced his march, joined Price, crossed Istopoga outlet, and 
soon after daylight took position at the encampment referred to, and 
had the satisfaction to find that the inmates, amounting in all to 
twenty-two individuals, had not been disturbed. One of their num- 
ber informed him that Alligator was anxious to deliver himself up ; 
and this individual, who was an old man, was subsequently employed 
on a mission to inform the chief, that if sincere in his professions he 
should have a conference next day at a place designated on the Kis- 
simmee. 

Upon the arrival of Colonel Davenport with the infantry. Colonel 
Taylor moved on to the place of meeting with Alligator, near which, 
as he reached it late in the evening, he encamped. At eleven o'clock 
the old Indian returned, bringing a very equivocal message from Al- 
ligator, whom, according to his report, he met accidentally. He also 
stated that the Mickasukies were still encamped on the opposite side 
of the river, where they had remained for some days, with a deter- 
mination to fight the United States troops. In this humor the 
Colonel determined to indulge them as soon as jjossiblc. Accord- 
ingly, the next morning he took the old Indian for his guide, crossed 



30 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

the Kissimraee, and reached Alligator's encampment, which was 
situated on the edge of "Cabbage Tree Hammock," in the midst 
of a large prairie. From the appearance of this and other encamp- 
ments in the vicinity, together with the many evidences of slaugh- 
tered cattle, it was evident that the population must have numbered 
several hundreds. 

Before Taylor commenced this march he had laid out a small 
stockade fort for the protection of a future depot, and left the pio- 
neers, pontoniers, eighty-five sick and disabled infantry, and a portion 
of the friendly Indians, together with all his artillery and heavy bag- 
gage, under the protection of Captain Monroe. This enabled him 
to move much faster than if encumbered by wounded and baggage, 
and brought him nearly on a level with his wary enemy. 

Soon after the arrival, the spies surprised another encampment 
situated at a small distance from the first, in the midst of a swamp 
It contained a small party of young men, one old one, and soirn 
women and children, who raised a white flag and were taken pri 
soners. They were Seminoles, and informed Colonel Taylor tha- 
the Mickasukies, headed by A-vi-a-ka (Sam Jones) were at the dis- 
tance of about twelve miles, securely encamped in a swamp, and 
prepared to fight. Upon receiving this information the commander 
dismissed the old man, and after making provision for those who 
came in, moved forward under guidance of the Seminoles, toward 
the canip of the Mickasukies. 

Between the hours of two and three in tlie afternoon, the army 
reached a very dense cypress swamp, through which they passed 
with great difficulty, and under continual apprehension of an attack 
from a concealed foe. The necessary dispositions for batde were 
arranged at the same time ; but the soldiers crossed without gaining 
sight of the enemy, and encamped for the night on the opposite side. 
During the passage of the rear, Captain Parks, who was in advance 
with a few friendly Indians, encountered two of the enemy's spies, 
and succeeded in capturing one of them who was on foot. He was 
a young warrior of great activity, armed with an excellent rifle, fifty 
balls in his pouch, and an adequate proportion of powder. This 
Indian confirmed the information previously received from other pri- 
soners, and m addition, stated that a large body of Seminoles, headed 



FLORIDA WAR. 31 

by John Cohua, Coaeooi-hce, Alligator, and other chiefs, was en- 
camped five or six miles from the Americans, near the Mickasukies, 
the latter being separated by a cypress swamp and a dense ham- 
mock. 

The army moved forward at daylight the next morning, and after 
marching five or six miles reached another cypress swamp, on the 
borders of which was a deserted camp of the Seminoles. It had 
evideiUlv contained several hundred persons, and exhibited very plain 
manifestations of having been abandoned in a hurry, as several fires 
were still burning, and quantities of beef lying on the ground uncon- 
sumed. 

Upon reaching Uiis encampment die troops were again arranged 
in order of battle, and again disappointed in iheh- expectation of see- 
ing an enemy. After remaining for some time, they crossed tlie 
swamp and entered a large prairie in their front, on which two or 
three hundred cattle, and a number of Indian ponies were grazing. 
Here was captured another young warrior, armed and equipped like 
the former. He pointed to a dense hammock on the right, about a 
mile distant, in which he said the Indians were situated, and waiting 
to give batde. 

In this place the final disposition was made for an attack. The 
army was drawn up in two lines ; Morgan's spies and the volunteers 
under Gentry, in extended order, formed the first line, with instruc- 
tions to enter the liammock, and if attacked and hard pressed, to fall 
back in the rear of the regular troops, out of reach of the enemy's 
fire; the second line was composed of the fourth and sixth infantry, 
who were instructed to sustain the volunteers. The first infantry 
was held in reserve. 

These arrangements being completed, the whole force moved on 
in the direction of the hammock, and after proceeding about a quarter 
of a mile reached the swamp, on the opposite side of which the 
enemy were stationed. This was three-quarters of a mile wide, ex- 
tending on the left as far as the eye could reach, and on the right to 
a part of the swamp and hammock they had just crossed, through 
which ran a deep creek. It consisted of an oozy mass of mud and 
water nearly two feet deep, over which waved a Uiick growth of 
coarse " saw-grass," as tall as a man, and was utterly impassable to 



32 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

cavalry, and nearly so to foot. In consequence of this, all the mjn 
Avere dismounted at the edge of the swamp, and the horses ajid bag- 
gage left under a suitable guard. At the same time Captain Allen 
was detached with the two companies of mounted infantry to examine 
the swamp and hammock to the right ; and in case of not finding die 
enemy in diat direction, to return U) the baggage ; but in either case 
if he heard a heavy firing, immediately to join Colonel Taylor. 

These arrangements being satisfactorily completed, the army 
crossed the swamp in order of battle. The volunteers and spies 
had scarcely reached the borders of the swamp, when a heavy fire 
was opened upon them by a large body of Indians. This was 
returned for a short time with considerable spirit, but they soon lost 
their gallant commander, Colonel Gentry, who fell mortally wounded. 
After tliis misfortune they fled in disorder, and instead of forming in 
the rear of the regulars, as had been directed, they retired across 
the swamp, to their baggage and horses ; nor would they again 
enter into action as a body, although efforts were made by Colonel 
Taylor's staff to induce them to do so. At this success, the In- 
dians rushed forward upon the second line, at the same time dis- 
charging a heavy fire of musketry. They were, however, coolly 
met and driven back by the fourth and sixth infantry. The heat 
of battle was principally borne by five con)panies of the latter ; 
yet they not only sustained it firmly, but continued to advance 
until their commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Thompson and his adju- 
tant. Lieutenant Carter, were killed ; they were then obliged to retire 
for a short distance, and reform. So great had been the loss of 
these companies, that every officer, widi a single exception, together 
with most of the non-commissioned, including the sergeant-major 
and four of the orderly sergeants, was killed or wounded ; and one 
of them had but yb«r members uninjured. 

Lieutenant-Colonel Foster, with six companies, amomitinir in all 
to one hundred and sixty men, gained the hammock in good order, 
where he was joined by Captain Noel, with die two remaining 
companies of the sixth infantry, and Captain Gillam, of Gentry's 
volunteers, with a few additional men. These, by a change of 
front, succeeded in separating the enemy's line, and continued to 
drive tliem until they reached tlie Lake Okee-Chobee, which was 



•^ FLORIDA WAR. 33 

in the rear of the enemy's position, and bordered their encamp- 
ment for nearly a mile. As soon as Colonel Taylor was informed 
that Captain Allen was advancing, he ordered tlie first infantry to 
move to the left, gain the encniy's right flank and turn it. This 
order was executed with promptness and eflect ; as soon as the 
regiment got into position the Indians gave one fire and retreated, 
being pursued by the first, fourth, and sixtli, and some iew volun- 
teers, until ilear night. This chase was a most fatiguing one, as 
the enemy scattered in all directions, and the troops were obliged 
to follow over a swampy and nigged surface. 

'I'his action was long and severe, continuing from half past twelve 
until about three, p. m. The Indians had selected the strongest 
position of the swamp, and were covered in front by a small stream, 
whose quicksands rendered it almost impassable. In addition to 
this, their front was concealed and partly protected by a growth 
of thickly interwoven hammock, and their flanks were secured by 
impassable swamps. They numbered about seven hundred war- 
riors, and were led by Alligator, Coacoochee, and Sam Jones. 

Colonel Taylor's force amounted to about five hundred men, 
only part of whom were regulars. In passing the stream they 
sunk to the middle in mire, and were continually exposed to the 
fire of the enemy ; and for a while during the batde, both parties 
fought hand to hand. The Americans lost twenty-six killed, and 
one hundred and twelve wounded. Among the slain were Colonels 
Gentry and Thompson, Captain Van Swearingen, and Lieutenants 
Carter and Brook, all of whom fell at the head of their respective 
commands. The loss of the Indians was never ascertained ; fliey 
left ten bodies on the field, and doubfless carried away a large num- 
ber, according to their invariable practice. During the whole en- 
gagement the Colonel was on horseback, passing from point to point, 
and cheering his men, though he himself was exposed to the com- 
plete range of the Indian rifles. 

As soon as the enemy were thoroughly broken. Colonel Taylor 
turned his attention to the wounded. He had previously ordered 
an encampment to be formed near his baggage ; and to facilitate his 
operations, he directed Captain Taylor to cross to that spot and 
employ every individual whom he might find tJiere, in constructing 



34 LIFE OF GKXEIJAL TAYLOR. # 

a small footway across the swamp. By great exertions this was 
completed a short time after dark, when all the dead and wounded, 
with the exception of the body of a private, which could not be 
found, were carried across in litters. 

In speaking of diis disastrous though successful action, Colonel 
Taylor, in his official communication to the department, says; — 
" I trust that I may be permitted to say, that I experienced one of 
the most trying scenes of my life, and he who could have looked on it 
with indifference, his nerves must have been very differently organ- 
ized from my own. Besides the killed there lay one hundred and 
twelve wounded, officers and soldiers, who had accompanied me one 
hundred and forty-five miles, most of the way through an unex- 
plored wilderness, without guides, who had so gallantly beat the 
enemy, under my orders, in his strongest position, and who had to 
be conveyed back through swamps and hammocks, from whence 
we set out, without any apparent means of doing it. This service, 
however, was encountered and overcome, and they have been con- 
veyed thus far, and proceeded on to Tampa Bay, on rude Htters, 
constructed with the axe and knife alone, willi poles and dry hides ; 
the latter being found in great abundance at the encampment of the 
hostiles. The litters were conveyed on the backs of our weak and 
tottering horses, aided by the residue of the command, with more ease 
and comfort to the sufferers than I could have supposed ; and with 
as much as they could have been in ambulances of tlie most im- 
proved and modern construction." 

The day after the battle Colonel Taylor and his command re- 
mained at their encampment, occupied in taking care of the wounded, 
and in the sad office of interring die dead. They also prepared 
litters for the removal of the \vounded, and detached a portion of the 
mounted men to collect the horses and cattle which had been left by 
the enemy. Of die former diey found about a hundred, many of 
which were saddled, and three hundred oxen. 

On tlie morning of the 27di, Colonel Taylor left tlie encampment, 
and at about noon next day reached the post on the Kissimmee, 
wliere he had left his heavy baggage. Fuuling the stockade which 
he had ordered Captain Monroe to construct, nearly in a state of 
completion, he left two companies and a few Indians to garrison it, 



m FLORIDA WAR. 35 

and [)roceeded towards Fort Gnrdncr. Arriving here he sent on tlic 
wounded to Tampa Bay, with llie fourth and sixth infantry; the 
former to hall at Fort Frazer. He liimself remained at Fort Ciardncr 
with the first, in order to make preparations to retake the field, de- 
sijrning to do so as soon as his horses could be recruited, and his 
supplies in a sufficient state of forwardness to justify that measure. 

In his despatch, tlie Colonel speaks in high terms of the behavior 
of the regulars, especially of the sixdi infantry, and designates par- 
ticular actions of the following officers, most of whom had been 
engaged with him in the campaigns of Florida, and some have since 
been known in a more conspicuous theatre of action — Lieutenant- 
Colonel Davenport, Colonel Foster, Major Graham, Captain Allen, 
Lieutenant Hooper, Captain Noel, Lieutenant Wood, Captain An- 
drews, Lieutenant Walker, Colonel Gentry, Captain Gillam, Lieu- 
tenant Blakely, Captain Childs, Lieutenants Rogers, Flanagan, 
Ilase, Gorden, Hill, Griffin, Harrison, McClure, Major Sconce, 
Captain Taylor, Lieutenant-Colonel Thompson, Captain Swearingen, 
Adjutant Carter, Lieutenant Brook, Major Brant, and Lieutenant 
Babbitt. His remarks upon Lieutenant-Colonel Thompson deserve 
remembrance, as displaying a tenderness of heart and warmdi of 
friendship, which eiilaances the merit of all his mihtary perform- 
ances : — ^ 

" It is due to his rank and talents, as well as to his long and im- 
portant services, that I particularly mention Lieutenant-Colonel A. R. 
Thompson, of the sixth inflmtry, who fell in the discharge of his 
duty at the head of his regiment. lie was in feeble health, brought 
on by exposure to this climate during the p;\st summer, refusing to 
leave the country while his regiment continued in it. Although he 
received two balls from tlie fire of the enemy early in the action, 
which wounded him severely, yet he appeared to disregard them, 
and continued to give his orders with the same coolness that he 
would have done had his regiment been under review, or on any 
parade duty. Advancing he received a third ball, which at once 
deprived him of life; his last words were — 'Keep steady m"n, 
charge the hammock — remember the regiment to which you Ijolong.' 
I had known Colonel Thompson personally only for a short time, 
and the more I knew of him, the more I wished to know ; and had 



36 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

his life been spared, our acquaintance,, no doubt, would have ripened 
into the closest friendship. Under such circumstances, there are 
few, if any other than his bereaved wife, motlier and sisters, who 
more deeply and sincerely lament his loss, or who will longer 
cherish his memory, than myself." 

'JTlie battle of Okee-Chobee had a very beneficial influence upon 
the eflbrts to subdue the Indians of Florida. An officer writing 
from Fort Bassinger subsequent to it, says : " The Indian prisoners 
now admit that they lost twenty killed on the ground, and a great 
many wounded, in the fight with Colonel Taylor. They had a 
strong position and fought well, but were terribly whipped, and have 
never returned near the ground since. Jumper, Alligator, and other 
Avarriors afterwards came in, and were subsequently employed by 
the Colonel in inducing their hostile companions to surrender tliem- 
selves ; by this means large numbers delivered tliemselves to the 
Americans. Indeed the general policy pursued by Colonel Taylor 
while in Florida, together with his industry and perseverance, and 
tlie hardy constitution he possessed, rendered his services immensely 
valuable to the government in subduing the savages and giving peace 
and safety to the southern frontier. The country was not insensible 
of his value, and the department at Washington conferred on him the 
rank of Brigadier-General by brevet, to take date from the battle of 
Okee-Chobee. 

Taylor now established himself at Fort Bassinger, on the Kis- 
simmee, about twenty miles west of Fort Lloyd. On die first of 
March following, Mr. Poinsett, Secretary of War, wrote to Major- 
General Jesup a letter, of which the following is an extract: 

" The department indulge the hope, that with the extensive means 
placed at your disposal, the war by a vigorous effort might be 
brought to a close this campaign. If, however, you are of opinion 
that from the nature of the country, and the character of the enemy, 
such a result is impracticable, and that it is advisable to make a 
temporary arrangement with the Seminoles, by which the safety of 
the setUements and the posts will be secured throughout the summer, 
you are at liberty to do so. In that event you will establish posts 
at Tampa, and on the eastern shore, and wherever else they are, in 
your opinion, necessary to preserve the peace of tlie country ; and 



FLORIDA WAR. 



37 



I would suggest the propriety of leavin<r Colonel Zachary Taylor of 
the first infantry in command of them." 

Accordin;rly Colonel Taylor received the command of the posts 
along the tVontier. 

General Jesiip having reported that the operations in Florida 
would probably tenninate on the first of May, the Adjutant General 
issued a "general order" on the tenth of April, 1838, making such 
a disposition of the forces as seemed necessary. The fifth article 
of this paper reads as follows : 

" Major General Jesup will take all the necessary orders for the 
prompt execution of this order, and will then turn over the command 
of the troops in Florida to brevet Brigadier-General Z. Taylor, 
Colonel of the first infantry and resume the duties of Quarter- 
master General." 

Agreeably to this order. General Taylor assumed the command 
of the Florida army in the following May. Here he remained until 
1840, when, upon requesting leave to retire, he was relieved by 
Brigadier-General Armistead, and with his family arrived in New 
Orleans on the 21st of June. 








CHAPTER III. 



(©smmcnciexnfint ef tit ££\t^it-:7. t<B,Ex, 



rniERTO we have viewed Gcncr 
r;il Taylor as tlie commander of but 
small forces, and acting under cir- 
ciuustances not very favorable to the 
;icq\iisition of a general or lasting po- 
[uilarily. Tlie mass of a community 
.< rcwaril an achievement according to 
i die splendor of its outward bril- 
liancy, forgetting that the events 
which they designate as small, may 
have required for ilieir succo.-sful performance the highest degree oi 
labor and talent. Accordingly, at die close of the war of 1 8 12, many 
brave men, wlio had done valuable service to their country in an 
unostentatious manner, were allowed to sink into comparative obli- 
vion. Such was the fate of the defender of Fort Harrison ; Uioiigh 




COMMKNCKMl^NT OF THE MIOXICAN WAR. 3'J 

tlmt rvrnt was Iirilliiint in ilsi'll", l\u: I'lrst burst of cathusiasm which 
atteiukul ils pcrronnuiicr soon j)assctl away, ami froiii lliat lime to 
the end of the war we arc not ai)le to trace the history of its princi- 
pal acior. From this obscurity he was called to the command in 
Florida, where he won for himself fresh approbation, and durinigr a 
short time enjoyed a considerable share of the reputation which his 
merits deserve. Yet the hero of Okee-Chobee was also forgotten, 
and when snbsequenlly called to a wide and trying theatre of action, 
tlie nation stared upon him as npon a stranger, and half contemptu- 
ously inquired " Who is General Taylor ?" 

Upon the close of the Seminole war it seems to have been the 
intendon of the General to redre from military life ; in diis, how- 
ever, he was not indulged by government. In 1841, not long after 
his arrival at New Orleans, he was orde oil to relieve General Ar- 
buckle in the command of the second department on the Arkansas 
river. Wiiile at Little Rock, on his way to Fort Gibson, he was 
tendered a public dinner by the citizens of that town, as an expres- 
sion of esteem for his " personal worth and meritorious public 
services." In a brief note the General declined this invitation, on 
account of the journey being already protracted an unusual length of 
time, and of his being anxious to proceed on as rapidly as possible 
to his destined post. Soon after he changed his head-quarters to 
Fort Smith, and subsequently was transferred to Fort Jesup, 
Louisiana. 

Meanwhile difficulties had arisen between the United States and 
Mexico, which threatened to result in an appeal to arms. The prin- 
cipal cause of these disturbances, was the course pursued by the 
former government with regard to the admission of 'i'exas into her 
confederation. 

Prior to the year 1831, this country formed a state of Mexico, 
under the tide of the Department of Tamaulipas. It had, however, 
been setUed almost entirely by emigrants from the United States, 
many arriving there as early as 1820. Upon the adoption of a new 
constitution by Mexico, in 1831, Texas refused to accede to it, and 
a war with the mother country was the consequence. This was 
carried on w-ith various success, until the early part of 1636, when 
General iSanta Anna. President of Mexico, was defeated and cap- 



40 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

tured in a battle at St. Jacinto, by the Texan and American forces 
under General Houston. Tliis delivered Texas from invasion, and 
a convention of delegates soon afterwards declared the country a free 
and sovereign republic, and elected Houston as their President. 

Mexico, however, woidd not recognize the independence of 
Texas, but was hindered by the distracted state of her government 
from prosecuting a plan of subjugation. 

While matters were in this condition, the peculiar amity existing 
between Texas and the United States, led tlie government of the 
latter power to digest a plan for the union of tlie two countries under 
a common flag. This scheme was called the project for the " An- 
nexation of Texas," and was first broached in the latter part of the 
administration of President Tyler. 

Of course a measure involving so many important interests to both 
countries, would be view^ed difl'crently by diflcrent minds. Accord- 
ingly, its propriety and even constituuonality, were ably and 
thoroughly discussed by all the leading journals of the day, and nu- 
merous petitions were presented tp Congress, both for and against 
the annexation. After much delay, however, the resolution passed 
both branches of that body in March 1845, and the act was subse- 
quently ratified by the Texan Congress. Upon this accession of terri- 
tory President Polk, who succeeded Mr. Tyler, congratulated Con- 
gress in his first annual message of December 2d. 

Meanwhile Mexico was not idle. Tliough torn by civil dissensions 
she had ever indulged a hope of the redemption of Tamaulipas, and 
the fear that it was soon to be irrecoverably lost, roused her at once 
to activity. As soon as the rumor reached her of the designs of the 
United States government, she instructed her minister to enter a 
solemn national protest against the annexation ; the American minister 
was also refused a hearing, and every preparation made to raise forces 
to cope with her neighbor. 

Under these circimistances it was thought advisable to station a 
military force in Texas, to repel any sudden invasion which might 
be made by the Mexicans. Accordingly, some months before the 
annexation, the following order was directed to General Taylor : 

» Septcinbcr lit It, 1844. 

"Sir — The Gcncral-in-Chief has receivcfl instructions, through 



COMMENCEMENT OF THE MEXICAN WAR. 41 

the Department of Slate from the Executive, to hold the troops be- 
tween the Red and Sabine rivers ready to march in case of a 
requisition being made by the Charge d'AlTaires residing near the 
government of Texas, as the said Charge may designate, in order to 
restrain any hostile incursion on the part of tlic border Indians, as 
required by the provisions of existing treaties. 

" You will please to take such preliminary measures as may be 
deemed necessary to put the great part of the forces under your 
command designated above, in march for the above purpose at short 
notice. 

" Should the apprehended hostilities with the Indians alluded to, 
break out, an officer of rank, probably yourself, will be sent to 
command the United States forces placed in the field, and who will 
receive hereafter further instructions from his government. 

"L. Thomas, 
" Assistant Adjutant-General. 
"Brigadier-General Z. Taylor, 

" Com. 1st Department, Fort Jesup, La." 

This preparatory step with regard to the Indians, seems to have 
been but a kind of introduction to more important operations. The 
southern department included the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, 
Alabama and Georgia, and on the twenty-first of March further 
orders were issued to the General, to prepare the troops from these 
states, and hold them in readiness to be moved into Texas as soon 
as ordered. On the 28th of May following, the Secretary of 
War, Mr. Marcy, addressed a confidential letter to him, directing 
him " by order of the President, to cause the forces now under your 
command, and those which may be assigned to it, to be put into a 
position where they may most promptly and efficiently act in the 
defence of Texas, in the event it should become necessary, or proper 
to employ them for that purpose." 

Further orders were soon after issued by Mr. Bancroft, acting 
secretary in the absence of Mr. Marcy; we extract the following 
from his letter : 

["confidential.] 
" Jfar Department, June loth, 1845. 

" Sir — On the fourth of July, or very soon thereafter, the con- 



4> LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

vention of tlie people of Texas will probably accept the proposition 
of annexation under the joint resolution of the late Congress of the 
United States. That acceptance will constitute Texas an integral 
portion of our coimtry. 

" In anticipation of that event, you will forthwith make a forward 
movement, with the troops under your command, and adv:mce to 
the mouth of the Sabine, or such other point on the Gulf of Mexico, 
or its navigable rivers, as in your judgment may be most convenient 
for an embarkation at the proper time for the western frontier of 
Texas. ********The point of your ultimate destination is the western 
frontier of Texas, where you will select and occupy in or near the 
Rio Grande del Norte, such a site as will consist with the health of 
your troops, and will be best adapted to repel invasion, and to pro- 
tect what, in the event of annexation, will be our western border. 
You will limit yourself to the defence of the territory of Texas, un- 
less Mexico should declare war against the United States. 

" Your movement to the Gulf of IMexico, and your preparations to 
embark for the western frontier of Texas, are to be made without 
delay ; but you will not effect a landing on that frontier until you 
have yourself ascertained the due acceptance, by Texas, of the prof- 
fered terms of annexation." 

The duties of the General were still further defined in a commu- 
nication from Mr. Marcy, from which the following is extracted : — 
" This Department is informed that Mexico has some military 
establishments on the east side of the Rio Grande, which are, and for 
some time have been, in the actual occupancy of her troops. In 
carrying out the instructions heretofore received, you will be careful 
to avoid any acts of aggression unless an actual war shall exist. The 
Mexican forces at the posts in their possession, and which have been 
so, will not be disturbed as long as the relations of peace lietween 
tlie United States and Mexico continue." 

From New Orleans, on the 20th of July, General Taylor ac- 
knowledges the receipt of this letter, and expresses his gratification 
at receiving such instructions, " as they confirm my views previously 
communicated in regard to the proper line to be occupied at present 
by our troops, those instructions will be closely followed, and the 



commkn(^emi:nt of tiik Mexican war. 43 

DeparUiiPiit may rest assured Uiat I will take no step to in term pt the 
friendly relations between the United States and Mexico." 

Upon the roeeplion of Uiis letter, the Secretary addressed him 
another, of which we give the porlion immediately relative to our 
subject. It is dated on the 30th of .Tuly : 

" While avoiding, as you have been histructed to do, all aggressive 
measures towards Mexico, as long as the relations of peace exist 
between tliat country and the United Stales, you are expected to 
occupy, protect, and defend the territory of Texas, to the extent that 
it has been occupied by the people of Texas. The Rio Grande is 
claimed to be the boundary between the two countries, and up to 
this boundary you are to extend your protection, only excepting any 
posts on the eastern side thereof, which are in the actual occupancy 
of Mexican forces or Mexican settlements over which the republic 
of Texas did not exercise jurisdiction at the time of annexation, or 
shordy before that event. It is expected that in selecting the estab- 
lishment for your troops, you will approach as near the boundary 
line, the Rio Grande, as prudence will dictate. Witli this view the 
President desires that your position, for part of your forces at least, 
should be west of the Neuces." 

In consequence of these directions. General Taylor crossed llie 
Neuces, and in August concentrated his forces at Corpus Christi. 

In the latter part of that month the General received further in- 
structions as follows : — 

" An order has been this day issued for sending one thousand 
more men into Texas, to join those under your command. When 
the existing orders are carried into effect, you will have with you a 
force of f(v.ir thousand men of the reg\ilar army. We are not enabled 
to judge what auxiliary force can, upon an emergency, be brought 
together from Texas, and, as a precautionary measure, you are au- 
thorized to accept volunteers from tlie States of Louisiana and Ala- 
bama, and even from Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky. Should 
Mexico declare war, or commence hostilities by crossing the Rio 
Grande with a considerable force, you are instructed to lose no time 
of giving information to the authorities of each or any of the above 
mentioned States, as to the number of volunteers you may want from 
them respectively. Should you require troops from any of tliese 



44 



LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 




Corp 



he American Camp. 



States, it would be important to have them with tlie least possible 
delay. It is not doubted that at least two regiments from New Or- 
leans, and one from Mobile could be obtained, and expeditiously 
brought into tlie field. You will cause it to be known at these 
places what number and description of troops you desire to receive 
from them in the contemplated emergency. The autlioriiies of these 
States will be apprised that you are authorized to receive volunteers 
from them, and you may calculate that they will promptly join you 
when it is made known that their services are required. Arms, am- 
munition, and camp equipage for the auxiliary troops that you may 
require, will be sent forward subject to your orders. Orders have 
been issued to Uie naval force in the Gulf of Mexico to co-operate 
with you. You will as far as practicable hold communication with 
the commanders of our national vessels in your vicinity, :uul avail 
yourself of any assistance that c:m bo derived from their co-opera- 
tion You will avail yourself of these vessels, and all 



COMMENCM.MHNT OF TlIK AIKXICA.N WAR. 45 

other proper moans to keep the government here advised of jour 
operations, and of the state of things in Texas and Mexico." 

In consequence of tliese orders die army left Corpus Christi on 
the 11th of March, 1840, and marched westward. On die 20th of 
the same month they reached the Colorado, having encountered on 
their journey the most appalling hardships, both from the heat of the 
sandy deserts over which they passed, and the want of food and 
water. The discipline acquired in camp, where large portions of 
the troops had for the first time an opportnnity of seeing and learn- 
ing the evolutions of the line, was here amply tested ; and it should 
be recorded to die honor of the soldiers, that throughout their whole 
march they bore their hardships with patience and cheerfulness. 

At the Colorado die army were to obtain die first sight of the 
enemy over whom they were soon so signally to triumph. A party 
of Mexicans were stationed on the west bank, and threatened to fire 
upon any one who should attempt to cross. The General immedi- 
ately arranged his army in order of balUe, and despatched a party to 
open a road for his ti-oops along the beach of the river. At the same 
time the Mexicans were themselves notified, that should they oppose 
the intended passage a batde would be the consequence. AVhile the 
army were taking the necessary defensive measures, General Mcjia, 
aid-de-camp to the Mexican commander of Matamoras, brought a 
despatch from his superior, stating that the passage of die Colorado 
by the United Slates army, would be regarded as a declaration of 
war, and the signal for the commencement of hostilities. 

Notwidistanding this beUigerent aspect of die Mexicans they made 
no actual ellbrt to resist the crossing, which was conducted by 
General Worth, assisted by Capt;iin C. F. Smith, die field pieces 
being placed in battery on the bank so as to cover the whole. It 
were difficult to point out in all the annals of warfare, a more culpa- 
ble piece of negligence than die non-resistance of the Mexicans on 
diis occasion ; for by a resolute opposition, diey might have seriously 
retarded if not altogether prevented the passage. But diey chose 
to retreat. 

Being thus unexpectedly dehvered from immediate batde by the 
flight of the enemy, die army on the 22d recommenced dieir march 
for Matamoras. This city is situated on die Gulf of Mexico, having 



4() 



LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 



tlie mouth of the Rio Grande on the east. The country between it 
and the Colorado is a flat open plain, covered with rank weeds and 
^rass. At a distance by land of twenty -five miles east of Matamoras, 
on an arm of the Gulf called Brazos Santiago, is Point Isabel, General 







i'uint I sab 



Taylor's intended military depot. On arriving at the road which 
runs between the two places, the General learned that the Mexicans 
were already at the Point. In consequence of this information he 
changed his original route, and leaving the main body of the army 
with General Worth, pushed forward with his dragoons and artillery 
for that place. When near this destination he was met by a civic 
delegation, at the head of which was the Prefect of Tamaulipas, who 
protested in the name of their coiuitry against tlie occupation of 
Texas. While the conference was going on, the General observed 
several volumes of smoke arise from the houses at tlie Point, and 
immediately concluded that it had been fired by the Mexicans. The 



COMMENCKMF.NT OF THE MEXICAN WAR. 47 

safety of tliis stalioii was a iimtltr of <riT:it importance, and accord- 
inijlv, in order to lose no time, llie delc<ralion was immediately 
dismissed, with the assurance that they should receive an answer 
wlion the American army had arrived opposite ^Matamoras. At the 
same ticne Colonel Twig-ss was sent forward with the dragoons to 
arrest the conflagration and capture tlic incendiaries. Upon his 
arrival he found Point Isabel deserted ; both citizens and military, 
with General Garcia at their head, having fled at his approach. 
The public buildings had been fired, but he succeeded in saving 
some of them. 

Meanwhile, tlie main army under General Worth had remained 
encamped about six miles from the point of its separation from 
General Taylor. Here the latter joined them soon after die capture 
of Point Isabel, and they resumed their march to the Rio Grande. 
They crossed the plain where subsequently were fought the battles 
of the 8th and 9th of May, and arrived about noon of the 28th of 
March opposite Matamoras. Here the army formed its encampment, 
and for the first time planted the American flag upon the shores of 
the " Great River of the North." '• 

During the whole course of this fatiguing march, and while he 
was stationed at Corpus Christi, the commander took great pains to 
impress upon the people and authorities that he was not advancing 
as an enemy, nor to make war upon Mexico, I)ut solely to assert the 
right of the United States to Texas up to the Rio Grande. Even 
the protest of the Prefect of Tamaulipas, and the warning at the 
Colorado, had led to no harsh words or violent measures, but thus 
Hir all was bloodless. 

In his despatches of tlie 29lh of Marcli and Gtli of April, General 
'i'aylor thus notices his fortifications before Matamoras, and the dis- 
positions of the enemy : — " Our approach seems to have created 
unusual excitement at tiiat place, and a great deal of activity has been 
displayed" (by the enemy) " since our arrival in the preparation of 
batteries. ****»**The attitude of the Mexicans is so far decidedly 
hostile. An interview has been held, by my direction, with the 
military authorities of Matamoras, but with no satisfactory result." 
" On our side a battery, for four eighteen pounders, will be com- 
pleted and the guns placed in battery to-day. These guns bear 



48 LIFE OF GEXEKAL TAYLOR. 

directly upon the public square of Matamoras, and within good 
range for demohshing the town. Their o^iject cannot be mistaken 
by the enemy." 

The " interview" here alluded to, was held between General 
Worth and commanding General Mejia, soon after our flag had been 
displayed upon the left bank of the river. Its object was the de- 
livery of despatches from General Taylor, and the obtaining of an 
interview with the American Consul. Mejia did not attend person- 
ally, but was represented by General la "Vega, the Licenciado Cen- 
sares, and Juan N. Garza, aided by an interpreter. After much 
altercation, the accepting of the despatches was refused, and a 
similar ominous result attended the request of an interview with the 
consul. 

While employed in the erection of their fortifications, the army 
received intelligence that General Ampudia was approaching with a 
large force, to the relief of Matamoras. Soon after, tlic following 
proclamation was circulated through the American camp : 

" TTie Commander4n- Chief of the Mexican army to the English and Irish 
under the orders of the American General Taylor. 

" Know Ye — That the government of the United States is com- 
mitting repeated acts of barbarous aggression against the magnani- 
mous Mexican nation ; that the government which exists ' under the 
flag of the stars' is unworthy the designation of Christian. Recol- 
lect that you were born in Great Britain ; that the American govern- 
ment looks with coldness upon die powerful fl:\g of St. George, and 
is provoking to a rupture the warlike people to wliom it belongs. 
President Polk boldly manifesting a desire to take possession of 
Oregon, as he has already done of Texas. Now then come with 
all confidence to the Mexican ranks ; and I guarantee to you upon 
my honor good treatment, and tliat all your expenses sliall be de- 
frayed, until your arrival in the beautiful capital of Mexico. 

" Germans, French, Poles, and individuals of other nations ! 
Separate yourselves from tiie Yankees, and do not contribute to de- 
fend a robbery and usurpation, which bo assured, the civilized nations 
of Europe look upon with the utmost indignation. Come therefore 
and array yourselves under the tri-colored flag ; in the confidence 



COMMENCEMKXT OF THE MEXICAN WAR. 49 

that the Goil of ;\riiiii\s protects it, aiul tliat it will protect you 
equally with the l'hi;ilisli. 

"Pedro pe Ampudia. 
"FiiANcisio R. ]\IiiiiK.vo, Ailft of the Conunandcr-in-Ckief. 

"HEAD-QuAUTEnS Vl'OS Till". IIOAD TO MaTAMOIIAS, 

April 2, 1846." 

Such a proclamation, of course, would only be treated with contempt. 

Hitherto, though both armies stood in a hostile attitude, nothing 
of the " last resort of injured nations" had actually occurred. This 
state of things was now broken. On the lOlh of April an event 
took place, which though it involved a case of only individual suf- 
fering, yet on account of the character of the victim, and the circum- 
stances attendant upon his death, was sufficient to damp the high 
spirits of the whole army, and to fill its officers with melancholy. 
That event was the murder of Colonel Cross. 

He had ridden out in the morning, accompanied by his son, to 
take his usual morning e.xercise. In a short time the son returned 
without his father. This created the first apprehensions which 
were increased by the non-appearance of the colonel at night. The 
array became alarmed, scouts were despatched in every direction, 
letters were sent to the Mexican general, and every means taken to 
obtain information of the unfortunate officer. The search continued 
until the 21st, when the mutilated body was found and brought to 
the army, by whom it was solemnly interred. The commander of 
Matamoras disclaimed all connection with his death, and there is little 
reason to doubt that he was murdered by a party of "ranclieros" or 
mounted outlaws, numbers of whom then infested the neighborhood. 

These rancheros are a sort of half-savage population, answering 
to the guachos of the pampas of Buenos Ayres. They spend most 
of their time on horseback, and use the lasso, a long cord or strip 
of hide with a noose at the end, which they throw with such dex- 
terity as to catch wild horses or cattle, or drag a horseman from his 
seat. Attached to an army, they serve as a sort of irregular cavalry, 
and under certain circumstances might become nearly as formidable 
as the Cossacks of the Don were in the disastrous retreat of Napo- 
leon from Moscow. But in lliis Mexican war their want of disci- 
pline and their poltroonery, have rendered them rather objects of 
7 



50 



LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 



contempt than apprehension to the American soldiers. It is only 
the sti-ag^ler, or small parties detached from the main army and off 
their guard, that they have ever been able in any measure to annoy. 




A Rancnero. 

On the nth General Ampudia entered Matamoras at tlie head of 
one thousand cavalry and fifteen hundred infantry, and assumed the 
command. The Mexicans hailed his entrance by the ringing of 
bells, firing of cannon, peals of music, and other indications of ex- 
travagant joy. His arrival was little less welcome to the Americans, 
as it was supposed to be the harbinger of either war or peace. 

The commander was not long in definmg his position. On the 
morning of the 12th he sounded for a parley, and sent two officers 
with a despatch to General Taylor. As the paper is curious, we 
insert it, together with the reply : — 

"FoCnTH MlLITAUY DiVISTON, 

Gmeml-hi-Chief. 

"To explain to you the many grounds for die just grievances felt 
by the Mexican nation, caused by the United States government, 
would be a loss of time, and an insult to your good sense ; I there- 
fore pass at once to such explanations as I consider of absolute 
necessity. 



'■} 



COMMENCEMENT OF THE MEXICAN WAR. r,l 

"Your nfnvcrntnrnt in an iiicndiljlc manner — yon will even permit 
mo to sav an i'xirava<rant one, il' llic nsaj^e or general rules estab- 
lished and received amonj]^ alleivilizcd nations are rcg^ardcd — has not 
only insulted, but has exai-peraled the Mexican nation, bearing its 
conquering banner to the left bank of the Rio Bravo del Norte ; and 
in lliis case by explicit and definite orders of my government, which 
neither can, will, nor should receive new outrages, I require you in 
all form, and at latest in the peremptory term of twenty-four hours, 
to break up your camp and retire to the other bank of the Neuces 
river, while our governments are regulating the pending question in 
relation to Texas. If you insist in remaining upon the soil of the 
department of Tamaulipas, it will clearly result that arms, and arms 
alone, must decide the question ; and in that case I advise you that 
we accept the war to which, with so much injustice on your part 
you provoke us, and that on our part this war shall be conducted 
conformably to the principles established by the most civilized 
nations ; that is to say, that the law of nations and of war shall be 
the guide of my operations ; trusting that on your part the same will 
be observed. 

" Willi this view I tender you the considerations due to your 
person and respectable office. 

" God and Liberty ? 

"IIf.ad-Qiautkus at Matamoras, 2 o'clock, P. M., April 12, 1846. 



Pedro de Ampudia. 



" Sr. Gcneral-in-Cliicf U. S. Army, 
Don Z. Tat LOU." 



TAYLOR S REPLY. 

"Hkad-Qcartehs Armt of Occupation,") 
Camp near Matamoras, Texas, April 12, 1846. 5 

" Senor : I have had die honor to receive your note of this date, 
in which you summon me to wididraw die forces under my com- 
mand from their present position and beyond die river Nueces, until 
the pending question between our governments, relative to the limits 
of Texas, shall be settled. 

" I need hardly advise you that, charged as I am in only a mili- 
tary capacity with the performance of specific duties, I cannot enter 
into a discussion of the international question involved in the advance 



52 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

of tlie American army. You will, however, permit me to say, that 
the government of the United States has constantly sought a settle- 
ment by negotiation of the question of boundary ; that an envoy was 
despatched to Mexico for that purpose, and that up to the most 
recent dates, said envoy had not been received by the actual Mexican 
government, if indeed he has not received his passports and left the 
republic. In the meantime, I have been ordered to occupy the 
country up to the left bank of the Rio Grande, until the boundary 
shall be definitely setded. In carrying out these instructions I have 
carefully abstamed from all acts of hostility, obeying in this regard, 
not only the letter of ray instructions, but the plain dictates of jus- 
tice and humanity. 

" The instructions under which I am acting will not permit me 
to retrograde from the position I now occupy. In view of the rela- 
tions between our respective governments, and the individual sufl'er- 
ing which may result, I regret the alternative which you offer; but 
at the same time wish it to be understood, that I shall by no means 
avoid such alternative, leaving the responsibility with those who 
rashly commence hostilities. In conclusion, you will permit me to 
give you the assurance, that on my part the laws and customs of 
war among civilized nations shall be carefully observed. 

" I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant. 

"Sr. Gex. D. Pediio D. Ampldia." 

The " peremptory term" of General Ampudia expired without 
producing any other result than an anxious inquietude throughout 
the American army. It is, however, very probable, that when writ- 
ing his communication, he really intended an attack, but was suhse- 
quendy hindered by the refusal of the citizens of Matamoras to 
co-operate with him. 

On the 18th, the American army was called to lament the loss of 
another of its officers — Lieutenant Theodoric H. Porter, of Pennsyl- 
vania. On the day previous he had set out with ten men to find 
the body of Colonel Cross, and on the 18th encountered a body of 
armed Mexicans, who numbered as he supposed, at least one hun- 
dred and fifty. The Americans were greeted by a pretty smart fire, 
which they returned, routing the enemy, and capturing their camp 
and horses. "While passing through a wood on their return, the 



COMMENCEMKN r OF THH MEXICAN WAR. 3\i 

party were again liretl upon, by a hidileii Toe. Heavy rains liad 
wetted the powder of the Americans, and they became scattered into 
"•roups of two and three. They lost three men in this affair, among 
wiiom was the lieutenant, said to have been stabbed by the Mexi- 
cans, subsequent to receiving a shot in the thigli. He was a son of 
tht^ late C'ommodore Porter, and left a young bride to lament his 
untimely death. His loss was severely regretted by the army. 

On the 22d a correspondence took place between the two com- 
manders, relative to two provision vessels bound to Matamoras, 
whose progress had been sto[)pcd by command of General Taylor. 
The letter of Ampudia accuses the American commander of violating 
the laws of nations, and wantonly and unnecessarily exposing life 
and properly by a blockade of the Rio Grande. It also severely 
reprobates the occupation of Texas, and incidentally threatens a 
Aveighty retribution, in case the Mexicans should meet with an un- 
looked for refusal, of certain demands. Both these letters give a 
very lucid picture of the position of affairs at that time, and we in- 
sert them entire. 

"DiTisiox OF THE North, ") 
Secotid General-in-Chief. 5 

" From various sources worthy of confidence, I have learned that 
some vessels bound for the mouth of the river, have not been able 
to effect an entrance into that port, in consequence of your orders 
that they should be conducted to Brazos Santiago. The cargo of 
one of them is composed in great part, and of the other entirely of 
provisions, which the contractors charged with providing for the 
army under my orders had procured to fulfil the obligations of their 
contracts. You have taken possession of these provisions by force, 
and against the will of the proprietors, one of whom is vice-consul 
of her Catholic Majesty, and the other of her Britannic Majesty ; 
and whose rights instead of being religiously respected as was prof- 
ferred, and as was to be hoped from the observance of the principles 
which govern among civilized nations, have on the contrary, been 
violated in the most extraordinary manner, opposed to the guarantee 
and respect due to private property. 

" Nothing could have authorized you in sucli a course. The 
commerce of nations is not suspended or interrupted, except in con- 



54 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

sequence of a solemn declaration of blockade, communicated and 
established in the form prescribed by international law. Neverthe- 
less, you have infringed these rules ; and by an act which can never 
be viewed favorably to the United States government, have hindered 
the entrance to a ^Mexican port, of vessels bound to it under the con- 
fidence that commerce would not be interrupted. My duties do not 
allow me to consent to this new species of hostility, and they con- 
strain me to require of you, not only that the vessels taken by force 
to Brazos Santiago, shall be at liberty to return to the mouth of the 
river, but the restoration of all the provisions which besides belong- 
ing to private contractors were destined for the troops on diis fron- 
tier. I consider it useless to inculcate the justice of this demand, 
and the results which may follow an unlooked for refusal. 

" I have also understood that two Mexicans, carried down in a 
boat by the current of die river, near one of the advanced posts of 
your camp, were detained after being fired upon, and that they are 
still kept and treated as prisoners. The individuals in question do 
not belong to the army, and this circumstance exempts them from 
the laws of war. I therefore hope that you will place them abso- 
lutely at liberty, as I cannot be persuaded that you pretend to 
extend, to persons not military, the consequences of an invasion 
which, without employing this means of rigor against unarmed citi- 
zens, is marked in itself with the seal of universal reprobation. 

" I avail myself of this opportunity to assure you of my distin- 
guished consideration. 

" God and liberty. 
"Matamohas, April 22, 1816. 

" Pedro de Ampudia. 

« Sr. Gen. Don Z. Taylor. " 

The General's reply is pointed and dignified. He enters at 
length into the treatment which he had received from Mexican em- 
bassies, refutes the charges of violating Uie law of nations, and of 
cruelty, and firmly challenges the threatened " results" consequent 
upon tlie prosecution of his course. It is, perhaps, one of the longest 
letters which the General ever wrote. 

"lIi.AD-QrAiiTEns AuMT OK On rr.vTiox, 7 
Camp near Matainoras, Texas, April 22, 1816. 5 
'• SiK — 1 have had tlie honor to receive your communication of 



COMMENCEMENT OF THE MEXICAN WAR. 55 

tills (late, in which you complain of certain measures adopted by my 
orders, to close the moutii of the Kio Bravo against vessels bound 
to Matamoras, and in which you also advert to the case of two Mexi- 
cans supposed to be detained as prisoners in this camp. 

" After all that has passed since the American army first ap- 
proached the Rio Bravo, I am certainly surprised that you should 
complain of a measure, which is no other than a natural result of 
tlie state of war so much insisted upon by the Mexican authorities, 
as actually existing; at this time. You will excuse me for recalling 
a few circumstances to show that this state of war has not been 
sought by the American army, but has been forced upon it, and tliat 
the exercise of rights incident to such a state cannot be made a sub- 
ject of complaint. 

" On breaking up my camp at Corpus Christi, and moving for- 
ward wiih the army under my orders to occupy the left bank of the 
Rio Bravo, it was ray earnest desire to execute ray instructions in a 
pacific manner ; to observe the utmost regard for the personal rights 
of all citizens residing on the left bank of the river, and to take care 
that the religion and customs of the people should suffer no viola 
tion. With this view, and to quiet the minds of the inhabitants, 1 
issued orders to the army, enjoining a strict observance of the rights 
and interests of all Mexicans residing on the river, and caused said 
orders to be translated into Spanish, and circulated in the several 
towns on the Bravo. These orders announced the spirit in which 
we proposed to occupy the country, and I am proud to say, that up 
to this moment the same spirit has controlled the operations of the 
army. On reaching the Arroyo Colorado, I was informed by a 
Mexican officer, that the order in question had been received in 
Matamoras ; but was told at the same time, that if I attempted to 
cross the river, it would be regarded as a declaration of war. Again, 
on my march to Frontone, I was met by a deputation of the civil 
authorities of Matamoras, protesting against my occupation of a por- 
tion of the department of Tamaiilipas, and declaring that if the army 
was not at once withdrawn war would result. While this commu- 
nication was in my hands, it was discovered that the village of Fron- 
tone had been set on fire and abandoned. I viewed tliis as a direct- 
act of war, and informed the delegation that their communicatioa 



56 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

would be answered by me when opposite IMatamoras, whicli was 
done in respectful terms. On reaching the river I despatched an officer, 
high in rank, to convey to the commanding general in Matamoras the 
expression of my desire for amicable relations, and my willingness 
to leave open to the use of the citizens of Matamoras the port of 
Brazos Santiago, until the question of boundary should be definitely 
setded. This officer received for reply from the officer selected to 
confer with him, that my advance to the Rio Bravo was considered 
as a veritable act of war, and he was absolutely refused an interview 
with the American consul, in itself an act incompatible with a stale 
of peace. 

" Notwithstanding these repeated assurances on the part of the 
Mexican authorities, and notwithstanding the most obviously hostile 
preparations on the right bank of the river, accompanied by a rigid 
non-intercourse, I carefully abstained from any act of hostility, de- 
termined that the onus of producing an actual state of hostilities, 
should not rest with me. Our relations remained in this state until 
I had the honor to receive your note of the 12th instant, in which 
you denounce war as the alternadve of my remaining in this posi- 
tion. As I could not under my instructions recede from my position, 
I accepted the alternative you offered me, and made all my disposi- 
tions to meet it suitably. But, still willing to adopt milder measures 
before proceeding to others, I contented myself in the first instance, 
with ordering a blockade of the mouth of the Rio Grande, by the 
naval forces under my orders — a proceeding perfectly consonant 
with the state of war so often declared to exist, and which you ac- 
knowledge in your note of the 10th instant relative to the late Colonel 
Cross. If this measure seem oppressive, I wish it borne in mind that 
it has been forced upon me by the course you have seen fit to adopt. 
I have reported this blockade to my government, and shall not re- 
move it until 1 receive instructions to Uiat effect, unless indeed, you 
desire an armistice pending the final settlement of the question be- 
tween the governments, or until war shall be formally declared by 
either, in which case I shall cheerfully open the river. In regard to 
the consequences you mention as resulting from a refusal to remove 
the blockade, I beg you to understand that I am prepared for them, 
be they what they may. 



rOMMENCKMKX'l' OF TIIH MHXICAN WAR. 57 

" In regard to the particular vessels referred to in your communi- 
cation, I have the honor to advise yon that, in pursuance of my 
orders, two American schooners bound for Matamoras, were warned 
off on the 17th instant, when near the mouth of the river, and put to 
sea, returning probably to New Orleans. They were not seized, or 
their cargoes disturbed in any way, nor have they been in the harbor 
of Brazos Santiago to my knowledge. A Mexican schooner under- 
stood to be the ' Juniata,' was in or off that harbor, when my instruc- 
tions to block the river were issued, but was driven to sea in a gale, 
since which time I have had no report concerning her. Since the 
receipt of your communication I have learned that two persons, sent 
to die mouth of the river to procure information respecting this vessel, 
proceeded thence to Brazos Santiago, where they were taken up 
and detained by the officer in command until my orders could be 
received. I shall order their immediate release. A letter from o:.e 
of them to the Spanish vice-consul is respectfully transmitted here- 
with. 

" In relation to Uie Mexicans said to have drifted down the river in a 
boat, and to be prisoners at this time in my camp, I have the pleasure 
to inform you that no such persons have been taken prisoners, or are 
now detained by my authority. The boat in question was carried down 
empty, by the current of the river, and drifted ashore near one of our 
pickets, and was secured by the guard. Some time afterwards an at- 
tempt was made to recover the boat under cover of the darkness ; the 
individuals concerned were hailed by the guard, and, fliiling to answer 
were fired upon as a matter of course. What became of them is 
not known, as no trace of them could be discovered on the following 
morning. The officer of the Mexican guard direcUy opposite, was 
informed next day that the boat would be reti^ned on proper appli- 
cation to me, and I have now only to repeat that assurance. 

" In conclusion, I take leave to state, that I consider the tone of 
your communication highly exceptionable where you stigmatize the 
movement of the army under my orders as ' marked with the seal 
of universal reprobation.' You must be aware that such language 
is not respectful in itself, either to me or my government; and 
while 1 observe in my own correspondence the courtesy due to 
your hijrli position, and to tlie magnitude of the interests with 
8 



58 



LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 



which we are respectively charged, I shall expect the same in 
return. 

" I have the honor to be, very res^)ectriilly, your oheuienf servant, 

Z. Taylor, 
Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. A., Commanding. 
«Sr. Gen. D. Pedro de Ampudia, Commanding in Matamoras" 




"Such was the disposition of the two armies when General Arista 
arrived and superseded Ampudia. The fort opposite Matamoras 
was now nearly compley^d. It covers a large area, having six bas- 
tion fronts, and other works of proportionate strength ; and it was 
evident, from the daily progress of events, that its strength would 
soon be needed. 

On the 21st, the following proclamation was circulated among the 
American soldiers, intended, like its predecessor, to estrange them 
from the cause of their country. It met with a similar success. 
Heau-Quahteiis at Matamohas, "> 
April 20, 1816. 3 
Soldiers ! — You have enlisted in time of peace to serve in that 



COM M i:\CE.M HNT OF Till-: MKXirAN WAR. 59 

army for :\ spccilic lime ; Inil your ohIiValioiis lu-vcr iinpliod that you 
were bound to violate the laws of God, and the most sacred right 
of friends ! The United States government, contrary to liic wishes 
of a majority of all honest and honorable Americans, has ordered you 
to lake forcible possession of the territory of a friend/i/ neighbor, 
who has never given her consent to such occupation. In other words, 
while the treaty of peace and commerce between Mexico and the 
United States is in full force, the United States presuming on her 
strength and prosperity, and on our supposed imbecility and cow- 
ardice, attempts to make you the blind instruments of her unholy 
and mad ambition, and force you to appear as the hateful robbers 
of our dear homes, and the unprovoked violators of our dearest feel- 
ings as men and patriots. Such villany and outrage I know is 
perfectly repugnant to the noble sentiments of any gentleman, and it 
is base and foul to rush you on to certain death in order to aggran- 
dize a few lawless mdividuals in defiance of the laws of God and 
man ! 

" It is to no purpose if they tell you that the law for the annexation 
of Texas, justifies your occupation of the Rio Bravo del Norte ; for 
by this act they rob us of a great part of Tamaulipas, Coahidla, 
Chihuahua, and New Mexico ; and it is barbarous to send a hand- 
ful of men, on such an errand, against a powerful aiid warlike nation. 
Besides, most of you are Europeans, and we are the declared friends 
of most of the nations of Europe. The North Americans are am- 
bitious, overbearing, and insolent as a nation, and they will only make 
use of you as vile toels to carry out their abominable plans of pil- 
lage and rapine. 

" I warn you in the name of justice, honor, and your own interests 
and self-respect, to abandon their desperate ajjd unholy cause, and 
become peaceful Mexican ch'xzens. I guaranty you in such case, 
a half-section of land, or three hundred and twenty acres, to setde 
upon, gratis. Be wise then, and just and honorable, and take no 
part in murdering us who have no unkind feelings for you. Lands 
shall I)e given to officers, sergeants, and corporals, according to rank, 
privates receiving three hundred and twenty acres as stated. 

" If in time of action you wish to espouse our cause, throw away 
your arms and run to us, and we will embrace you as true friends 



60 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

aiid Christians. It is not decent nor prudent to say more. But 
should any of you render important service to Mexico, you shall 
be accordingly considered and preferred. 

M. Arista, 
Coinmander-in-Cliief oj the. Mexican Army" 

The arrival of General Arista at Matamoras, seems to have been 
the signal for the commencement of active duties. Every day 
brought fresh rumors that large bodies of Mexicans either were cross- 
ing or had crossed the river, and were marching toward the American 
camp. The following extracts from a letter of General Taylor will 
show his position prior to the attack upon Captain Thornton : 

" Strong guards of foot and mounted men, are established on the 
margin of the river, and thus efficient means have been adopted on 
our part to prevent all intercourse. While opposite to us their 
pickets extend above and below for several miles, we are equally 
active in keeping up a strong and vigilant guard to prevent surprise 
or attacks under disadvantageous circumstances. This is the more 
necessary while we are to act on the defensive, and they are at 
liberty to take the opposite course, whenever they think proper to 
do so. Nor have we been idle in other respects ; we have a field 
work under way, besides having erected a strong battery, and a 
number of buildings for the security of our supplies, in addition to 
some respectable works for their protection. We have mounted a 
respectable battery, four pieces of which are long eighteen pounders, 
with which we could batter or burn down the city of MaUimoras 
should it become necessary to do so. When our field work is com- 
pleted — which will soon be the case — and mounted with its proper 
armament, five hundred men could hold it against as many thousand 
Mexicans. During the twenty-seven days since our arrival here, a 
most singular state of things has prevailed all tlu-ough the outlines 
of the two armies, which to a certain extent have all the feelings as 
if there were actual war." 

During the excitement consequent upon the above mentioned 
rumors. Captain Ker was sent down the river as far as Barita, but 
without gaining any information of the reported crossing. Upon his 
return a parley was sounded from the Mexican shore, and a messen 
ger brought the following letter to the American General : 



COMMENCEMKNT OF THE MEXICAN WAR 61 

"Mkxicax Ahmi : 

" The course of events, since the annexation of Texas to the 
United States was declareJ, has been so clearly hostile to Mexico, 
and so foreign to tlie dignity and principles which the Americans 
have proclaimed to the world, that we come to the conclusion that 
their policy has changed, and their moderation has turned into a 
desire of aggrandizement, enriching themselves by humiliating their 
neighbors. 

" The respect and consideration that friendly nations show to each 
other have been trampled upon, by which reason the justice and ex- 
cessive moderation of Mexico shine forth still more. Pressed and 
forced into war, we enter in a struggle that cannot be avoided without 
failiniT in what is most sacred in man. 

Political discussions do not appertain to military men, but to di- 
plomatic agents ; to us belongs the part to act, without it occasioning 
any surprise that the troops under my command should not wait for 
any thing else to give battle. 

" We Mexicans have been calumniated as barbarous, in the most 
caustic and unjust terms ; the occasion has arrived to show what we 
are, and I do not believe that in the troops under my command, there 
will be any cause to confirm such suppositions, as they will cause 
to shine the feelings of humanity and generosity that distinguish 
them. 

" For the first time I have the honor to offer your excellency my 
great consideration. 

" God and Liberty ! 

Mariano Arista. 
"HEAD-QcARTEns, Matamoras, April ii, 1846." 

Direction outside — "Mariano Arista, General-in-Chief of the Di- 
vision of the North, to die General-in-Chief of the forces of the 
United States encamped opposite Matamoras." 

Inclosed was the following private note : 

"Sr. Gek. D. Z. Taylor. 

"Sir: — I have just arrived in Matamoras, to take command of 
the troops that the government of my country have confided to my 
care. Your urbanity, as well as the customs known among gentle- 
men, make me salute you with all friendliness by means of this 



62 



LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 



private communication, assuring you that since fate lias marked us 
to be immediate opponents in the struggles in which our countries 
are just entering, that at least all the laws of courtesy which reign be- 
tween generals, carrying on a war between civilized nations, will be 
observed, and tliat you will always find in my acts, justice, love of 
humanity, and all the other qualities which make, in the present 
times, war less barbarous and unlike those of the middle ages. 

" I have the pleasure of oflering myself, with such motives, your 
affectionate servant, 

Mariano Arista. 
«Matamoras, April 24, 1S46. 

In consequence of the rumored intentions of the enemy, Captain 
Thornton was despatched on the 24th to the crossing, above the fort, 
and Captain Ker below. Accompanying Thornton were Captain 
Hardee, Lieutenants Mason and Kane, and sixty-one men. After 
proceeding about twenty-six miles, they encountereil a Mexican, 




^*^.^^^^ 



American Officer and Mexican Guide. 



who reported that at a short distance the enemy were stationed to 
tlie number of two thousand, under General Torrejon. Pardy from 



«/fcrf/,i-',;jKi.-,i^MUii M I 







COM.MEXCK.MKNT OF TIIH MKXIC.V.N WAH. 03 

the cowardice of tlieir Mexican guide, and parlly from ignorance of 
tiie country, tliey were led into a plantiUion surrounded by a thick 
cliapparal fence, roinid which was concealed an atnbush of more than 
ten times their number. Thornton, followed by his command, 
crossed the plantation to the house, where he commenced conver- 
sation with one of the residents. While thus engaged, the enemy 
took possession of the gate, and now for the first time, the party 
perceived that the chapparal was crowded with infantry, supported 
by cavalry, who were preparing for a charge. 'J'his was met with 
gallantry and success ; but in the struggle Lieutenant Kane was un- 
horsed, and the captain became separated from his command. The 
whole Mexican force now poured in a destructive fire upon the few 
men under Captain Hardee, who, notwithstanding, rallied and en- 
deavored to retreat by way of the river. This he was unable to 
accomplish, and after having eleven men killed, including a sergeant 
and two other officers, he consented to surrender, on condition of his 
men being treated as prisoners of war, declaring that if this were 
refused they would continue the battle at all hazards. This was 
acceded to, and the captain and twenty-five men were carried into 
Matamoras. 

The bravery of Captain Thornton deserves notice. As we have 
stated, he met tlie charge of the cavalry with success, but was un- 
able to break the crowded lines of the infantry by whom they were 
supported. The chapparal was at this time in one wide blaze of 
fire, and in rushing toward it the horse of the captain made a tre- 
mendous leap, completely clearing the whole enclosure, and alisrhted 
in die midst of the enemy. This feat, however, was not performed 
with impunity ; the animal received a severe woimd at the very mo- 
ment of its accomplishment, and was subsequently obliged to carry 
his intrepid rider through a host of armed men. The captain 
escaped unwounded, and though both horse and rider subsequently 
encountered a severe fall, he succeeded in approaching within about 
five miles of the American camp. But at this place he was inter- 
cepted by an advance guard of the enemy, and conveyed prisoner to 
Matamoras. 

Lieutenant Mason was killed before the chapparal, and Kane shared 
the fate of Thornton. 



64 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

Notwilhslaiiding the disadvantages against which the Americana 
contended, this affair was a source of unbounded exuhation to the 
enemy. Besides public rejoicing in Matainoras, Arista wrote to 
General Torrejon in terms of congratulation, which would have been 
considered extravagant in General Taylor after the battle of Palo 
Alto.* 

After tlie capture of Thornton, the Mexicans crossed the river in 
large detachments, and moving down to the east of the American 
camp, spread themselves between that station and Point Isabel. All 
communication between tlie two places was thus stopped, and the 
position of General Taylor became critical. Surrounded by an 
enemy far more numerous than his own army, cut off from inter- 
course with his military depot, prohibited by superior orders from 
acUng on the offensive, and expecting each moment eidier to be 
attacked himself, or to receive news of the destruction of Point 
Isabel, it may well be supposed that his mind was filled with gloom 
and anxiety. In addition to this, he had but eight days' rations in 
camp, all his stores of provision being at the other station. 

Under these circumstances, the first step of the General was to 
apprise the War Department at Washington that actual hostilities 
had commenced. He also wrote to the governor of Texas for 
twenty companies of foot riflemen, and to the governor of Louisiana 
for four regiments of infantry. 

Upon leaving Point Isabel, General Taylor had appointed for its 
defence. Major John Monroe, at the head of two companies of artil- 
lery. His force was about four hundred and fifty men, besides 
which, the crews of vessels in the harbor united for his assistance, 
augmenting the number to about nine hundred. The artillery con- 
sisted of sixteen ijrass six pounders, two long eightecns, and two ship's 
guns. The garrison was amply provided with powder and ball, and 
the works were sufficiently strong to resist an enemy three times as 
numerous as the garrison. The fort received a valuable auxiliary in 
a body of Texan IJangers, connnanded by Captain Samuel H. 
Walker, a young man who had greaUy distinguished himself in the 
Texan struggle, in which he had been taken prisoner by the Mexi- 

• Thorpe's "Our Army on the Kio Grande." 



COMMENCEMENT OF THE MEXICAN WAR Go 

cans and carried to Salndo.* Upon his arrival at the fort, he was 
stationed between it and the camp of General Taylor, with instruc- 
tions to keep open, if possible, the communication between them. 
On the morning of the 28lli, having ascertained that the object of 
the .Mexicans was to surround botli places, he set out with about 
seventv-five men, intending to penetrate to the camp. 

After marching about twelve miles he suddenly encountered a 

• Sami KL H. Walkeii. was bom in Prince George county, Maryland, and 
prior to the present war with Mexico, was principally distinguished for his in- 
trepidity and niist'ortunes in the Texan struggle. He was one of Colonel 
Fisher's three hundred men who inarched against two thousand Mexicans sta- 
tioned at .Micr. He was captured by the enemy previous to the battle at that 
l)l:ice, while on an excursion into their territory, and after the defeat of the 
Tcxans, he was marched, with the other prisoners, to Matamoras, and from 
thence to the castle of Perote, on their way to the capital. For a short time 
the prisoners were treated kindly ; but as they receded from Texas, the Mexi- 
can otlicers threw olT their reserve, and began to act more in conformity with 
the cruel disposition they had hitherto exhibited against the revolutionists. 
When they arrived at Salado, this cruelty had become so intolerable that the 
prisoners determined to revolt, and after slaughtering the guard, to make their 
escape. Among the foremost in the charge was Walker. When the signal 
was given, he seized one of the sentinels at the inner door of the prison yard, 
•while Cameron, a Scotchman, seized the other. Both Mexicans were instantly 
disarmed, and the Texans rushed into the outer court, where the arms and car- 
tridge boxes were guarded by one hundred and fifty Mexican infantry. These 
were soon driven out, and while the Texans were arming themselves, the 
Mexican cavalry and a company of infantry, formed in front of the outer gate. 
The Texans charged through them, killing nine or ten and wounding more, 
with a loss of five of their own number killed, and five wounded. The Texans 
numbered two hundred and fourteen, their enemy three hundred. The party 
escaped, but subsequently lost their way, and after wandering among the moun- 
tains and sutTering the extremities of hunger and thirst, they were finally re- 
captured by straggling parties, and brought back to Salado. Here they were 
decimated by Santa Anna, and even.' tenth man shot. Alter the most appalling 
sulTerings, Walker, with eight others, succeeded in escaping from the city of 
Mexico, and returned to Texas. 

This expedition originally consisted of two hundred and sixty-one men. Of 
these, ten were killed at the battle of Mier, and six others subsequently died of 
wounds received there ; five fell at the revolt at Salado, seventeen were shot by 
decimation, five died in the mountains, thirty-five of sulfering and starvation in 
Mexico, eleven were released through the intervention of ministers, eight 
wounded at Mier effected their escape, and the remainder, including Walker, 
escaped from Mexico. 

Walker then joined the Texan revenue service, of which he became an efli- 
cient memlMjr. But when the army of occupation entered the country on its 
way to Corpus Christi and Point Isabel, he joined the forces at the head of a 
body of partizan rangers. Ills subsequent career is given in the text, and he is 
now distinguished as the gallant Captain Walker of the United States service. 



66 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

party of armed Mexicans, whose number he estimated at fifteen 
hundred. Most of his men, being new volunteers and entirely inex- 
perienced, fled with precipitation. The remaining few met the 
charge of the enemy with firmness, and for tiftecn minutes sustained 
a batde against forty times their number. They then retreated, and 
were pursued till within cannon shot of Point Isabel. The captain 
estimates the loss of the enemy at about thirty ; his own has never 
been made known. 

Walker reached the fort at night of the same day, and with an 
intrepidity approaching to rashness, oflered Major Monroe his ser- 
vices to carry any communication to General Taylor, provided he 
could be granted four men as companions. Although the proposal 
was regarded as Quixotic, he obtained permission, and six men im- 
mediately volunteered to accompany him. They set out next morn- 
ing, and after several very narrow escapes, reached General Taylor's 
camp on the 30th. 




Walker's Exp 



t II e o'l t 



1^ 








/^-.<^^^^.^-7^- 




Major Ringgold. 

CHAPTER IV. 

PON the reception of Captain Wal- 
ker's intelligence, General Taylor 
^ resolved to set out in person with the 
'*^eater part of his army, for the piir- 
% pose of relieving Point Isabel and 
cflecling ilie transportation of his sup- 
plies. Accordingly, leaving Major 
Ihown in connnand of the works, 
assisted by two companies of artillery 
and the seventh regiment of infantry 
under Lieutenant Bragg and Captain 
Lowd, he left the camp on the 1st of May, and without any inter- 

C7 




68 LIFE OF GEXERAL TAYLOR. 

ruption reached Point Isabel next day. He found the place com- 
pletely invested, and the utmost anxiety and excitement prevailing 
among the troops. 

No sooner had General Taylor marched from the fort on the Kio 
Grande, than it became the theatre of most important operations. 
Matamoras hailed his departure by the ringing of bells, and lond 
shouts from the deceived populace, who fondly dreamed of a " retreat" 
by the American army. The El Monitor liepiibHcano of May 
4th, after expatiating on the admirable arrangements of Arista, thus 
notices the removal of the American forces : 

" General Taylor dared not resist the valor and enthusiasm of the 
sons of Mexico. Well did he foresee the intrepidity with which our 
soldiers would rush against the usurpers of the national territory. 
Well did he know the many injuries which were to be avenged by 
those who had taken up arms, not to aggrandize themselves with 
the spoils of the property of others, but to maintain the independence 
of their country. Well did he know, we repeat it, that the Mexi- 
cans would be stopped neither by trenches, nor fortresses, nor large 
artillery. Thus it was that the chief of the American forces, fright- 
ened as soon as he perceived from the situation and proximity of his 
camp that our army were preparing to cross the river, left with pre- 
cipitation for Point Isabel with almost all his troops, eight pieces of 
artillery, and a few wagons. Their march was observed from our • 

position and here let me pay to our brave men the tribute 

which they deserve. The express verbally informed some of the 
troops Avhich had not yet arrived at the ford, of the escape of the 
Americans ; in one instant all the soldiers spontaneously crossed the 

river, almost racing one with another The terror 

and haste with which the latter fled to the fort, to shut themselves 
up in it and avoid a conflict, frustrated die active measures of the 
most excellent Senor General Arista, which were to order the cavalry 
to appear in the plain, and to cut olV the flight of tlie fugitives. But 
it was not possible to do so, notwithstanding their forced march dur- 
ing the night. General Taylor left his camp at two o'clock in die 
afternoon, and as fear has wings, he succeeded in shutting liimsclf 
up in the fort. When our cavalry reached the point where they 
were to detam him, he had already passed and was several leagues 



BATTLi: OF PALO ALTO. 09 

ahead. Great was tlie sorrow of our brave men not to have been 
able to meet the enemy face to face ; their defeat was certain, and 
the main body of that invading army who thought that they inspired 
the Mexicans with so much respect, would have disappeared in the 
first important battle. But there was some fighting to be done, and 
tlie Americans do not know how to use other arms than those of 
duplicity and treachery. Why did they not remain with firmness 
under their colors ? Wliy did they abandon the ground which they 
pretend to usurp witli such iniquity? Thus has an honorable 
general kept his word. Had not General Taylor said in all his 
communications, that he was prepared to repel all hostilities ? Why 
then does he fly in so cowardly a manner to shut himself up at the 
Point ? The commander-in-chief of the American army has covered 
himself with opprobrium and ignominy, in sacrificing a part of his 
forces whom he left in the fortifications, to save himself; for it is 
certain that he will not return to their assistance — not that he is 
ignorant of their peril, but he calculates that his would be greater, if 
he had the temerity of attempting to resist the Mexican lances and 
bayonets in the open plain." 

Early on the morning of the 3d, the Mexican army in Matamoras 
opened upon the fort with a battery of seven guns. The fire was 
steadily returned by the Americans, who in about twenty minutes 
silenced that of the enemy. A heavy cannonade was then com- 
menced by the Mexican lower fort and a mortar battery, which was 
kept up without intermission until midnight. In this bombardment 
the enemy expended about fifteen hundred shells and shot, but 
although these were directed principally at the workmen, who labored 
at the unfinished fortifications during the whole attack, yet they did 
very little execuUon. 

Victory in this first day's attack declared for neither party ; the 
Mexicans liowever, as will be perceived by the following extract 
from the El licpiiblicann. May 4th, appropriated with their usual 
liberality all the glory to themselves, denouncing the conduct of the 
Americans as brutal, impotent, and cowardly, and arrogating com- 
plete success for the future : 

" But let us relate the glorious events of yesterday. As Aurora 
dawned we began to fire from our ramj)arls on the fortifications of 



70 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

the enemy, and the thunder of Mexican cannon was saluted by the 
reveille fronx every point of our line, by the bell of the parochial 
church, and by the vivas of the inhabitants of Matamoras. In a 
moment the streets were filled, and all were rejoiced to see at last 
the hour arrived when we were to give a terrible lesson to the Ame- 
rican camp, whose odious presence could no longer be tolerated. 
The enemy answered, but they were soon convinced that their ar- 
tillery, although of a superior calibre, could not compete with ours. 
After a fire of five hours our ramparts remained immovable, on ac- 
count of the solidity of their construction, and the intelligence with 
which the rules of art had been observed. The same did not hap- 
pen to the American fortifications, whose bastions were so completely 
demolished, that towards 1 1 o'clock in the morning their artillery 
ceased to play and their fire was hushed. We continued to fire 
with activity during the day, without the enemy's daring to respond 
to us, because the parapets under which they would shelter them- 
selves being destroyed, they had not courage to load their gims which 

remained uncovered Unequalled glory and eternal honor 

to our brave countrymen. 

" The enemy in their impotent rage, and before they concealed 
their shame behind the most distant parapets, had the barbarous plea- 
sure of aiming their guns towards the city to destroy its edifices, as 
it was not in their power to destroy the fortifications from which 
they received so much injury. This wicked revenge which only 
springs from cowardly and miserable souls, did not meet with the 
success expected by those who so unworthily adorn themselves witli 
the titles of savans and philanthropists. Their stupidity was equal 
to their wickedness. Almost all the balls passed too high, and 
those which touched the houses, although they were eighteen poun- 
ders, did not cause any other miscliief hut tliat of piercing one or two 
walls." 

Between two and throe o'clock on the ninrninir of the 4lh, Cap- 
tain Walker with six rangers, reached the fort from Point Isabel. 
The cannonade had been heard at that station, and as it continued 
hour after hour, it created the most thrilling excitement. General 
Taylor determined to know something of the garrison, and selected 
Captain May to effect a communication. He had one hundred 



BATTLE OF PALO ALTO. 71 

men, and was ai'com[Kiiiie(l by Captain Walker willi six of the 
Texan rangers. He was instructed to choose a position favorable 
to rcconnoitering the enemy, and from wiiich he might with safety 
detach Walker to the major, but on no account to risk a battle.* 

May set out at two o'clock in the afternoon of ihe 3d, and at nine 
had marched so far as to perceive the guard fires ol' tiie enemy, who 
were encamped at Palo Alto. By skilful mancEuvcring he escaped 
ihe observation of the enemy, and marching round their front, con- 
cealed his party behind a chapparal between the Mexicans and the 
Rio Grande. Walker was then despatched to the fort, with direc- 
tions to learn the force of any enemy he might encounter, as well as 
to ascertain if Major Brown was still able to maintain his position. 
He arrived at the fort without meeting the enemy, and after obtain- 
ing fresh horses, set out to rejoin Captain May. On arriving at the 
station where he had left that officer, he found it deserted, and that 
large bodies of the Mexicans had scattered tliemsolves in various 
directions to intercept him and his rangers. He therefore returned 
to the camp, where he remained during that day. 

The command of Captain May had remained near the cliapparal 
until they were discovered by the enemy. It now became danger- 
ous to remain longer, and as it was very probable that Walker had 
been captured, orders were given to return to Point Isabel. On the 

* Very little is known of the biography of Colonel May previous to the pre- 
sent war. He is a native of the city of Washington, and son of Dr. May. " On 
organizing the second regiment of dragoons during General Jackson's adminis- 
tration, he was among those who, from civil life received a commission as lieu- 
tenant in the corps, and was ordered to Florida, where the regiment was 
subjected to severe active service ai^ainst the Seminoles, and the lieutenant was 
entrusted with many responsible duties. One of these led him into a personal 
rencontre with the celebrated chief of the tribe, Philip, upon whose camp a 
charge was made, and the chieftain knocked down and secured by Lieutenant 
May, just as he raised his rifle to shoot that ofliccr." 

May is now a captain in the American ar:iiy, and is noted for the intrepidity 
and efficiency of his cavalry charges, especially thn brilliant one of Resaca de 
la Palma, where he captured General la Vega, and all his park of artillery. He 
has lately visited the United States, advancing as far north as Washington, and 
being even.- where received with the warmest enthusiasm. 

The captain is said to present a whimsical appearance. His form is long 
and lean, and his hair and beard so long as to stream behind him, as he rides in 
the wind. His favorite charger "Tom," appears to be as singular as his rider, 
and both together, to use the language of a volunteer, are enough to frighten 
the Mexicans, 



72 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

way he encountered about one hundred and fifty lancers, whom he 
charged, routed, and pursued for about three miles toward their 
camp. He then proceeded toward Point Isabel, which he reached 
at nine o'clock. 

Meanwhile, the soldiers under Major Brown were industriously 
laboring at the fort. Since the departure of General Taylor they 
had worked night and day, even while continually exposed to the 
batteries of the enemy ; and the works were now considered strong 
enough to resist any effort of the Mexicans. Throughout the whole 
of the 4th a renewal of the bombardment was confidently expected, 
but in this the garrison were disappointed. 

In the evening Captain Walker made a second attempt to reach 
Point Isabel and was successful. His success was mainly owing 
to his perfect knowledge of the eountiy and of the enemy's positions. 

Major Brown had been instnicted not to attempt relieving himself 
by a sally from the fort; yet he Avas not permitted to remain long 
idle. Throughout the morning of the 5th, thousands of Mexican 
troops filled the plain, evincing by their varied movements, that pre- 
parations were then in progress for an assault. It was soon ascer- 
tained that they had erected a strong battery during the night in the 
rear of the fort, and that a vigorous caimonading was to I)e commenced 
on both sides of the river. At about five in the afternoon, this bat- 
tery commenced a heavy fire upon the garrison, which was imme- 
diately seconded by the cannon of Matamoras. These were vigor- 
ously answered by the six-pound howitzer batteries of the fort, and 
after a little while the assailants ceased firing. Considerable recon- 
noitering now took place between light bodies of the Mexicans and 
a few Americans under Lieutenant Hanson, who had obtained per- 
mission from Major Brown to leave the fort for that purpose. Be- 
fore midnight tlie works were completely invested, and according 
to a preconcerted signal, Major Brown discharged his eighteen 
pounders, at regular intervals, to inform General Taylor of his 
situation. 

On the 6th, the firing: was renewed on the part of the enemy, 
but the Americans having but a scanty supply of amniuuiiion, were 
obliged to remain quiet. 

Hitherto we have seen ihc bombardment carried on with little 



battli: of p.vr.o alto. 73 

loss to the ^rrigon ; ihey, however, were to feel the scourge of war 
as well as the enemy ; and the Olh of May became memorable for 
the fall of their brave commander. In the afternoon, he had been 
taking his customary official round among the soldiers, and stopped 
for a moment to give instructions to some of the men who were en- 
gaged in constructing the works. Suddenly a shell struck the 
ground near him, tearing up the soil in lai-ge fragments, and com- 
pletely enveloping the major in a cloud of dust. He was observed 
to fall, and to the horror of the soldiers, the air became clear only to 
exhibit the sad spectacle of their suffering commander. His right 
leg had been shattered by the shell, and part of it thrown to some 
distance from the body. He bore his sufferings without a murmur, 
and while being carried to the hospital by his men, he exhorted 
them to do their duty as faithfully as before, and by no means 
to surrender the fort. Amputation above the knee was immediately 
effected, but the wound was of so aggravated a nature that he sur- 
vived but three days. He was succeeded in the command by 
Captain Hawkins.* 

Meanwhile the firing of die Mexicans was unintermiltingly sus- 
tained ; practice seemed to give precision to their aim, and the ground 

* Majou J. Biiowx,was a native of Vermont, and at the age of twenty-four 
years entered the American army as a common soldier in the seventh infantry, 
at the commencement of the war of 1812. He was in nearly all the hard 
fought battles on the Niagara, where his merit was soon perceived, and won for 
him an cnsi<rn's conmiission. Before the close of the war he obtained a lieu- 
tenancy, and from that rose by regular gradations to the rank of major, in which 
capacity he served for many years. For some time he filled the ofiice of com- 
missary of subsistence at Council Blull's, afterwards quartermaster and commis- 
sary at .St. Louis, and for a while was engaged in conducting the tribes of 
emigrant Indians to the west. He was also in active service during the whole 
period of the war in Florida. In giving him the command of the fort opposite 
Matamoras, General Taylor displayed liis sagacity in the knowledge of character 
and officer-like qualities in a comrade in arms, which perhaps his observation 
and actual experience helped him to foresee. He found also, tliat his contidence 
in the major was not misplaced, and it will ever be a matter of regret that the 
gallant otlicor should have fallen before his task was successfully finished, and 
the laurel placed on his brow. His habits of exact discipline and exact ac- 
countability made his services always in request ; and as he possessed the con- 
fidence of his superiors, and the uood will of those under his command, he was 
an officer in the proper sense of the term. General Taylor savs of him : " The 
pleasure [of vicfori/] is alloyed with profound regret at the loss of the heroic 
and indomitable Major Brown. His loss would be a severe one to the service 
at any time, but to the army under my orders, it is indeed irreparable." 
" 10 



74 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

within the whole range of the fort presented the appearance of a 
ploughed field. Late in the afternoon the enemy opened from Mata- 
moras with one mortar, and from the field in the rear with two ; and 
at half-past ten some infantry crept up into a ravine, and discharged 
some small arms and musketry ; but being out of range, their fire 
was not returned. At ten o'clock next morning Lieutenant Bragg 
discharged several rounds of canister upon parties of mounted men 
and infantry, apparenUy endeavoring to surround his rear. This 
dispersed them, but elicited in return a shower of shells from the 
different batteries, which rained without intermission until half-past 
eleven o'clock. 

About four o'clock the Mexicans sounded a parley, and sent to the 
fort a delegation of two ofiicers, bearing a white flag. They brought 
a communication from General Arista, of which the following is a 
translation : . 

"Mexican- Army, Division of the North,") 
General-in-Chief. 3 

" You are besieged by forces sufficient to take you ; and there is, 
moreover, a numerous division encamped near you, which free from 
all other cares, will keep off any succors which you may expect to 
receive. The respect for humanity acknowledged at the present 
age by all civilized nations, doubtless imposes upon me the duty of 
mitigating the disasters of war. 

" This principle, which Mexicans observe above all other nations, 
obliges me to summon you, as all your efforts will be useless, to sur- 
render in order to avoid by a capitulation, the entire destruction of 
all the soldiers under your command. 

" You will thus afford me the pleasure of complying with the mild 
and benevolent wishes above expre^ed, which distinguish the char- 
acter of my countrymen, whilst I, at the same time, fulfil the most 
imperious of the duties which my country requires for the offences 
committed against it. 

" God and Liberty ! 
"Head-Qiartkrs at the FACavES DEL Ramisero, May 6fh, 1846. 

M. Arista." 

Upon the reception of this document Captain Hawkins convened 



BATTl.I] or PALO ALTO. 75 

a council of his onicers, wlio, upon consultation, unanimously ac 
ceded tx) the Ibllowiiig reply : 

"HKAD-QiAiiTEns U. S. FoncEs, 7 
Near Matamoras, May 6, 1846, 5 P. M. 3 
" Sir — Your humane communication has just been received, and 
after the consideration due to its importance, I must respectfully de- 
cline to surrender my forces to you. 

"The exact purport of your despatch I cannot feel confident that 
I understood, as my interpreter is not skilled in your language ; but 
if I have understood you correctly, you have my reply abo\ e. 
" I am, sir, respectfully, your obedient servant, 

" E. S. Hawkins, 
" Commanding U. S. Forces opposite Matamoras. 
"Geneual M. Arista, Commanding Division of the North." 

Upon the reception of this reply, the Mexicans re-opened their 
batteries, and during the remainder of the afternoon and a great part 
of the night, poured forth a continual shower of bombs, shells and 
shot. The garrison expected a night assault ; but were disappointed. 

The morning of the 7th opened with a heavy cannonading from 
the city, which now seemed to be the favorite position of the enemy. 
After a short time the firing ceased, but was again renewed, proceed- 
ing languidly until two o'clock, when all the batteries simultaneously 
burst forth with terrific violence, and continued without intermission 
until evening. This fire was very annoying to the Americans, de- 
stroying tents, sheds, utensils, and many other articles ; and to add 
to the mortification of the garrison, they were obliged to remain pas- 
sive spectators in consequence of the scarcity of their ammunition. 

At dark. Captain Mansfield, of the engineer corps, was sent with 
one hundred men to level the traverse, thrown up by General Worth 
on ilie Rio Grande, together witli some clumps of chapparal, behind 
both of which the enemy were accustomed to conceal themselves in 
order to gall the Americans. This he accomplished by midnight, 
at which time commenced a random fire of musketry, accompanied 
by a sounding of bugles, which continued until daylight. The gar- 
rison felt now certain of being attacked, but they were again dis- 
appointed. Before morning all was quiet ; but at sunrise tlie 
bombardment was renewed with great energ)', continuing with little 



76 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

intermission until the afternoon. But although nearly three hundred 
shells and large shot were precipitated into the fort, not a single 
American was either killed or wounded. 

In the afternoon the heavy sound of distant cannon suddenly broke 
upon the ears of the garrison. It was repeated — there could be no 
mistake as to its origin. Each soldier started to his feet, and listened 
with a thrill of breathless anxiety for its return ; and at each peal a 
shout more loud than the Mexican batteries, rolled along the Ameri- 
can lines. That sound was the voice of General Taylor at Palo 
Alto. In the evening a INIexican deserter arrived at the fort with a 
white flag, and gave an account of the battle. No news could have 
been more grateful to the wearied garrison ; for six days they had 
scarcely known rest or sleep ; but with their beloved commander 
once more near them, they knew that victory would henceforth be 
easy. 

On the afternoon of the next day the firing was heard from 
Resaca de la Palma, announcing a re-engagement ; and about sunset 
the besiegers of the fort beat a retreat. 

Such were the principal events at Fort Brown* after the depar- 
ture of General Taylor. In reviewing the conduct of the garrison, 
we are struck with their indomitable valor and perseverance. Be- 
sieged by a far superior force of the enemy, deprived of intercourse 
with their only means of succor, and limited in food and ammuni- 
tion, they did not for one moment swerve from their high position 
as American soldiers. Arista's overtures of capitulation were re- 
jected with scorn, and his assaults sustained with firmness. The 
defence of Fort Brown will ever be considered a master piece of 
courage and valor. 

We now return to the main army under General Taylor. 

The General reached Point Isabel on the 2d of May, without 
having encountered a single Mexican. The next day he heard the 
cannonading of Fort Brown, but received no important intelligence 
until the 4th, when Captain May arrived and reported that he had 
passed the camp of a heavy Mexican force, stationed on the road to 
Matamoras. 

The situation of the American commander was one of great peril. 

• So called by General Taylor in honor of its defender, Major J. Brown. 



CATTLi: OF PALO ALTO. 77 

The number and intentions of tlie enemy were unknown, as was 
also the future fate of Fort Brown ; but it was certain that the enemy 
would use every effort to prevent the junction of his forces, Un 
appalled, however, by this threatening array, he declared to the army 
his intention of marching to ihc relief of the fort; and orders to that 
elfect were issued on the 7th of May. In the evening the main 
body, to the amount of two thousand men, accompanied by two hun- 
dred and fifty wagons, left Point Isabel and marched about seven 
miles, wiiere they stopped and passed the night. The next morning 
they again moved forward until they arrived at a wide level prairie, 
flanked on both sides by small pools of fresh water. 'J'he plain was 
more than three miles in extent, and beyond it, facing the American 
army, were extended lines of chapparal, prickly pear, and a species 
of tree called by the Mexicans Palo Alto. Here a scene thrilling 
and impressive in character burst upon the American army. The 
enemy, numbering more than six thousand, were stretched directly 
across the road in an unbroken line of more than a mile in length. 

General Taylor now made his dispositions for batUe, which were 
as follows : On the extreme right, Lieutenant-Colonel Mcintosh 
■with the fifth infantry ; Major Ringgold's artillery ; Captain N. L. 
Norris and third infantry ; two eighteen pounders, commanded by 
Lieutenant Churchill of the third artillery ; fourth infantry com- 
manded by Major G. W. Allen; third brigade, composed of the 
tliird and fourth regiments, under Lieutenant-Colonel Garland. These 
together with two squadrons of dragoons under Captains Ker and 
INIay, composed the right wing, under the orders of Colonel Twiggs. 
The first brigade, composed of Lieutenant-Colonel Child's battalion 
of artillery, and the eighth infantry under Captain Montgomery, 
formed the left wing, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel 
Belknap. The train was stationed near the water, under the direction 
of Captains Grossman and iNIyers, and protected by Captain Ker's 
squadron. 

At two o'clock the army commenced its march toward the enemy, 
having been previously orilered to refresh themselves with draughts 
of cold water from the neishboring pools, AVhile the columns were 
advancing, Lieutenant IJlakc of the topographical engineers, having 
received permission to reconnoitre, galloped forward to within rifle- 



78 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

shot of the Mexican hue, wliere he dismounted, and with his spy- 
glass coolly surveyed their foices. Being approached by two of 
their officers, who were under the impression that he sought a 
parley, he remounted, rode in a parallel line between the two armies 
and returned. This handsome conduct was of some use, as it re- , 
suited in the discovery of two batteries of artillery between the cavalry 
and infantry of the enemy. 

The Americans continued to advance until the opposing armies 
were within about a quarter of a mile of each other, when the Mexi- 
can batteries on the right opened a heavy fire, and were almost 
immediately followed by a loud burst from the artillery of the whole 
line. The advancing columns were now halted, and formed into 
line, while at the same time die fire of the enemy was answered by 
Churchill's eighteen pounders, and the artillery of Ringgold and 
Duncan. The latter had soon to sustain the combined efforts of the 
Mexicans ; and but for the want of precision in their aim, would 
have been completely annihilated. Every cannon was now in ser- 
vice, and the battle raged with terrific grandeur. At each discharge 
of Churchill and Ringgold, the cavalry of the enemy was seen to 
open, announcing the entrance of a messenger of death, and though 
for a long while each gap was steadily fiUed up, yet at lengtli the 
slaughter became so tremendous, that in about two hours after its 
commencement, they gave ground and collected for a charge. 

During all this time die infantry had remained idle spectatoi-s ; but 
the moment was arriving when they w^ould be called to take an 
active part in the engagement. Captain Walker reported that General 
Torrejon, with a company of lancers and two pieces of artillery, 
were moving through the chapparal evidently witli the design of at- 
tacking the train ; and the fifdi infantry, supported by a part of 
Ringgold's battery and Walker's volunteers, were ordered to oppose 
this movement. The lancers, amounting to fifteen hundred, were 
first met by Ridgely's butteries, and their artillery obliged to retreat. 
The fifth regiment then opened upon them, and were soon followed 
by the third infantry, both batteries operatuig with terrible effect. 
Unable to stand so tremendous a fire, the lancers broke and fled on 
all sides, leaving hundreds of Uieir men and horses dead on the field. 
The battle had now become general, raging with such fury as to en 




• '■«) '\V 



BATTLE OF PALO ALTO. 79 

velope boih armies in the smoke of artillery, and even to set on fire 
the long grass of the prairie. 

The firing of the Mexicans now ceased, and for an hour both 
armies remained quiet. Meanwhile the enemy formed a new line 
of battle, and the American general ordered forward the eighteen 
pounders nearly to the position first occupied by the lancers, and 
caused the first brigade to take up a new position still on the left 
of the eighteen pounder battery. The fifth infantry was also ad- 
vanced from its former position, and occupied the ground to the 
extreme right of the new Une. 

These changes cfTocted, the battle recommenced with great fury. 
The artillery of Churchill and Rin<rgold did even more execution 
than before ; and yet the broken ranks of the enemy were filled up 
with a promptness and courage which excited the admiration of their 
antagonists In order to throw them into confusion. Captain May's 
squadron was ordered to charge, if possible, the left ; but after con- 
siderable loss he was obliged to desist from a paucity of troops. 
Meanwhile the fourth infantry was exposed to a most galling fire of 
artillery, by which they lost a large number in killed and wounded, 
and among the latter Captain Page. About the same time, while 
Major Ringgold was direcUng one of his pieces, he was mortally 
wounded by a cannon ball which passed through both his thighs and 
the body of his horse.* 

• Samuel Ringgold was bom in Washington county, Maryland, in 1800. 
His father was General Siatnucl Ringgold, and his mother a daughter of Gene- 
ral John Cadwalader, so renowned in the annals of the American revolution. 
Young Ringgold was sent to the Military Academy at West Point, in 1814, and 
was graduated at the head of his class in 1818, haWng creditably performed the 
arduous duties and requirements of that institution. He entered the army 
as lieutenant, and was soon after recommended to General Scott, whose 
head-<}uarters were then at Philadelphia. Being satisfied with his merit, as 
well as somewhat aci|uainted with his family, the general immediately selected 
him for one of his aids, and he repaired to head-quarters and joined the staff, in 
which he remained for nearly three years. During that time lie enjoved the 
respect and confidence of his sui)erior, and profited greatly by the instruction he 
received under so accomplished a soldier. He possessed qualities of heart and 
mind which endeared him to his associates and superiors, and was one of the 
few who may be said to have no enemies, although belonging to a profession so 
eminently calculated to engender envj- and rivalry. 

T'pon leaving the slalThe entered active service, doubly qualified by the ad- 
vantages he had enjoyed, and the close application he had pursued while in 
this honorable position. He was attached to the third regiment as UeutenanI 



80 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

During these movements, Lieutenant-Colonel Childs's artillery had 
been brought up to support the artillery on the right. As the cavalry 
of the enemy were now advancing, notwithstanding a severe cannon- 
by brevet, and in Jul}- 1822, he was promoted to first lieutenant in the place oi 
Samuel Spotts, who had been raised to captain. 

In 1831, he accompanied his command to Fort Moultrie, S. C, where he 
remained until the diificulties occasioned by the "nullification" question were 
ended. In July of the following year, 1834, he received the rank of captain by 
brevet, to date from May 8th, 1832. In August 1836, he was promoted to 
captain, and assigned companj' C, third artillery. In the latter part of the same 
month he was sent, with his command, to Savannah, Ga., in order to garrison 
the fort at that place ; and shortly after he was commanded to Florida, where be 
served through the greater part of the war, to the great injurj' of his health. 
The rank of major by brevet was conferred upon him for his " meritorious ser- 
vices" in that territory. 

By orders of November 5th, 1838, his company was disbanded, and he was 
instructed to proceed to Carlisle, Pa., and organize and equip a company ot 
light artillery. This was in conformity with an act of 1831, to " authorize the 
mounting and equipment of a part of the army of the United States," the 
men to be entailed from the first and second artillery, and to be dropped from 
the rolls of their respective companies, and mustered as company C of third 
regiment The major's former company, then in the field, was broken up, and 
the men transferred to other companies of the regiment, the subalterns only 
joining the company of Carlisle. 

Major Ringgold now applied himself diligently to perfecting the discipline in 
this arm of the military service. His efforts were highly successful, and mainly 
through his instrumentality and that of Captain Duncan, the flying artillery has 
become the most important militiirj* branch in service. Though, perhaps, never 
thoroughly tested until on the plains of the Rio Grande, yet the great share it 
there contributed toward a successful result, has distinguished it as one so valu- 
able, as to demand the serious attention of the goveriunent in order perfectly to 
organize and extend it. The performances of the flying artilleiy in an engage- 
ment are of the most ingenious character, and the elfcctsof the battcrv- the most 
destructive to an enemy. The necessary arms are the sword, pistol, and cannon, 
the latter used almost as ex[)ertly as the former. " They advance rapidly, halt 
with astonishing suddenness, dismount, separate their cannon from the carriages, 
replace them, mount, and start off again. At a certain signal after the firing, 
they instantly drop ; while the enemy, supposing them distibled, venture too 
near, and in an instant are completely surprised, and arc shot down before they 
can collect themselves." 

Major Ringgold was ordered from Fort McHcnry to Texas with the " army 
of observation." When General Taylor left Point Isabel on the 7th of May, 
the major, with his regiment, occupied a position near the vanguard. At Palo 
Alto the Mexicans opened their batteries on the right, half a mile from the Ameri- 
can line, and were answered by two eightcen-pounders in charge of Lieutenant 
Churchill. Ringgold took position to the right and front of the eighteen pounders, 
at a distance of seven hundred yards from the enemy (subsequently- advancing 
one hundred yards) and opened his battery with tremendous effect. He pointed 
the guns with his own hand, and with unerring precision, directing the shot not 
only to groups and masses of the enemy, but to particular individuals. He saw 



BATTLR OF PALO ALTO. 81 

ade, the battalion of artillery was formed into square, in order to 
receive their churgc ; but when the advanced squadrons were within 
close range, a fire of canister from the eighteen pounders, dispersed 

them fall ia numlx>rs; their places occupieil by others, who in their turn were 
shot down, and he declared that " he felt as confident of hitting his mark as 
though he had been using a rille."' During all this time the infantry were 
formed as a support in his rear, and cheered rapturously the brilliant movements 
and destructive execution of his batterv*. 

At length a regiment of the enemy's lancers were seen to make a demonstration 
toward the right, apparently to gain possession of the wagon train. Lieutenant 
Ridgcly was detached with two pieces to check them, leaving the major with but 
a small number of men. He continued, however, to play upon the enemy with 
his two remaining pieces, advancing, retrograding, or shilling his position, ac- 
cording to the nature of the action, for three hours, when he was shot through 
both thighs liy a six-pound ball. He was mounted at the time, and the ball 
came from the right, passing through his right thigh, about midway, at right 
angles throuLih the holsters, tore away the front part of the saddle and the horse's 
shoulders, and passed into the major's left thigh. An officer ran to his aid, but 
the major exclaimed — " Don't stay %vith me : you have work to do — go ahead." 
He was conveyed to his camp under charge of Dr. Byrne, placed in comfortable 
quarters, and his wounds dressed. A great quantity of muscles and integu- 
ments were carried away from both thighs, and yet the arteries were not divided, 
nor the bones broken. Dr. Foltz, surgeon of the United States army, remained 
with him during the night. He had but little pain, and at intervals slept. He 
continued to grow worse through the 9th, but conversed cheerfully upon the 
incidents of the battle, constantly adverting to the ethcicncy of his guns, and the 
brave conduct of his officers and men. He died at one o'clock on the morning 
of the 10th of May, and was buried on the next day with militarj- honors, la- 
mented by the whole camp. 

" He was an accomplished gentleman, beloved by his friends, and respected 
by all. He was devoted to his profession, and justly appreciated the high re- 
sponsibilities of an officer in command. He rigidly enforced discipline at all 
times, and in all things ; ami yet, probably, no officer had more entirely the respect, 
the confidence, and the atTectionate regard of all his officers and men." 
The Philadelphia North American thus speaks of his death: — 
'• The death of this accomplished officer is a heav\- loss to the country. He 
had been entrusted with the revision of a system of tactics for our army, and 
devoted much time and study to improving upon the En<;li-;h and French sa-s- 
tems. His corps was as fine a one as any ser\-ice could boast He leaves 
unfinishe<l we think, a work which he was preparing on the utility and practi- 
cability of the flying artillery arm in service. .Major Ringgold's constitution was 
much impaired by his long campaigns in Florida, but passionately attached to 
the profession of arms, he still remained in the army, and died a martyr to his 
countrv-. 

"His death has stricken thousands of hearts, that gush under the blow with 
feelings which no ordinary public calamity could have excited. He was gene- 
rally known and appreciated in this city as the Bayard of the age — the star of 
the war; and his career was watched with anxious eyes and hearts. That it 
would be glorious no one doubted; but who thought that an orb so bright would 
•ink so early ] The soul of chivalrj- and honor, accomplished as a soldier, lofty 
11 



82 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

tlaein. The fire of the enemy now ceased, and wilh it the action 
on the right of tlie American hne. 

Meanwhile the enemy had made a serious attack against the left. 
Their movements were for a while concealed by the smoke of the 
burning plain ; but this having dispersed, Captain Duncan discovered 
and communicated to Lieutenant Belknap the fact, that the enemy 
were moving the entire cavalry and infantry of their right wing upon 
the train in rear of the American left. He was ordered to proceed 
to the threatened point immediately, and hold the enemy in check, 
until the eighth infantry could come to his support. He rapidly 
advanced in full view of the enemy, moving so unexpectedly that 
they were compelled to halt, before a shot had been fired or a gun 
unlimbered, and engaged them within range of their small guns. 

A strong body of the enemy's infantry, supported by two squad- 
rons of cavalry, now issued from the extreme right point of the 
chapparal, and moved forward to an attack. They were driven back 
by a discharge of shells and round shot from a part of the battery, 
the other part in the meanwhile playing upon the cavalry, which had 
halted in front of the guns. Their broken column rallied and re- 
turned to the attack, but were again repulsed in greater disorder than 
before. At the same moment the cavalry which had hidierto main- 
tained their ground, rushed back upon the advance columns, commu- 
nicating a panic from squadron to squadron, until their entire right 
wing was in full retreat. The artillery continued its fire until the 
enemy had gained the chapparal, when darkness put an end to the 
battle. 

The force of each army in this battle, together with the killed and 
wounded and other incidental matter, will be gathered from the des- 
patches of the two commanders which we insert. 

as a patriot, beloved as a man, it demands an agonizing struggle to reconcile us 
to such a sacrifice. And yet it is a noble one. In tlie flash of his fame he has 
died, as he lived — for his country. The oflcring was doubtless a glad one. He 
desired no better fate than such a death ; he could leave no richer inheritance 
than such an example. While we feel as if destiny had robbed the future of 
the fame which such a nature must have won, we dare not repine that his career 
has been closed in its morning with this sunburst of glory. His memory will 
be gratefully cherished so long as honor has a victory, freedom a hero, or his 
country a name." 



nVTTI.H OF PALO ALTO. 83 

Ifrvi) C^rAiiTKns, Arm Y (U" Oci'iTATio.v, ) 
Camp at I'alo Alio, Tcxm, May [)//i, 1816. J 

Sir : I have tlic honor to report tliat I was met near this place 
yesterday, on my march from Point Isabel, by the Mexican forces, 
and after an action of about five hours, dislodged them from their 
position and encamped upon the field. Our artillery, consisting of 
two eighteen pounders and two light batteries, was the arm chiefly 
engaged, and to the excellent maimer in which it was manoeuvred 
and served, is our success mainly due. 

The strength of the enemy is believed to have been about six 
thousand men with seven pieces of artillery and eight hundred cav- 
alry. His loss is probably at least one hundred killed. Our strengtli 
did not exceed, all told, twenty-three hundred men, while our loss was 
comparatively trifling — four men killed, fliree oflicers and fliirty-seven 
men wounded, several of the latter mortally. I regret to say that 
Major Ringgold, third artillery, and Captain Page, fourth infantry, 
are severely wounded ; Lieutenant Luther, second artillery, slightly 
so. 

The enemy has fallen back, and it is believed has repassed the 
river. I have advanced parties now thrown forward in his direction, 
and shall move the main body immediately. 

In the haste of this first report, 1 can only say, that the oflicers and 
men behaved in the most admirable manner throughout the action. 
I shall have the pleasure of making a more detailed report, when 
those of the difl^erent commanders shall be received. 
I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

Z. Taylor, 
Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S, A. Commanding. 

The Adjctaxt-Ge:?eral U. S. Army. 
Washington D. C. 

The exact force of General Taylor was 177 otricers and 2111 men. 
The Mexicans amounted to more tlian six thousand, and it is pro- 
bable that their loss was far greater than is stated in the following 
despatch : — 

GE^^EnAL-i:?-CniF.F 

Most Excellent Sir : Constant in my purpose of preventing 
General Taylor from uniting the forces which he brought from the 
Fronton of Santa Isabel with those which he left fortified opposite 



84 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

Matamoras, I moved this day from the Fauques del Raniinero, whence 
I despatched my last extraordinary courier, and took the direction of 
Palo Alto, as soon as my spies informed me that the enemy had left 
Fronton, with the determination of introducing into his fort, wagons 
loaded with provisions and heavy artillery. 

I arrived opposite Palo Alto about one o'clock, and observed that 
the enemy were entering that position. 

With all my forces I established tlie line of battle in a great plain, 
my right resting upon an elevation, and my left on a slougli of dif- 
ficult passage. 

Scarcely was the first cannon fired when there arrived General 
Pedro de Ampudia, second m command, whom I had ordered to join 
me after having covered the points which might serve to besiege the 
enemy in the forts opposite Matamoras. 

The forces under my orders amounted to 3000 men, and twelve 
pieces of artillery ; those of the invaders were 3000, rather less thaii 
more, and were superior in artillery, since they had twenty pieces 
of the calibre of sixteen and eighteen pounders. 

The batde commenced so ardendy that the fire of the cannon did 
not cease a single moment. In the course of it the enemy wished to 
follow the road towards Matamoras, to raise the siege of his troops ; 
with which object he fired the grass, and formed in front of his 
line of battle a smoke so thick, that he succeeded in covering 
himself from our view, but by means of mancKuvres this was 
twice embarrassed. 

General Taylor maintained his attack rather defensively than 
offensively, employing his best arm which is artillery, protected by 
half of the infantry, and all of his cavalry, — keeping the remainder 
fortified in the ravine, about two thousand yards from the field of 
battle. 

I was anxious for the charge because the fire of cannon did much 
damage in our ranks, and I instructed General D. Anastosia Torrejon 
to execute it with tlie greater part of die cavalry, by our left flank, 
while one should be executed at the same time by our right flank, 
with some columns of infantry and the remainder of that arm (cavalry). 

I was waiting the moment when that general should execute the 
charge, and the effect of it should begin to be seen in order to give 



BATTLE OF PALO ALTO. 85 

the impulse on the riglxt, but he was checked by a fire of the enemy 
wliich defended a slough that embarrassed the attack. 

Some battalions becoming impatient by the loss which they 
suflered, fell into disorder, demanding to advance or fall back. I 
immediately caused them to charge with a column of cavalry under 
the command of Colonel D. Cayetano Montero ; the result of this 
operation being that the dispersed corps repaired their fault as far as 
possible, marching towards the enemy, who in consequence of his 
distance was enabled to fall back upon his reserve, and night coming 
on the battle was concluded — the field remaining for our arras. 

Every suitable measure was then adopted, and the division took 
up a more concentrated curve in the same scene of action. 

The combat was long and bloody, wiiich may be estimated from 
the calculations made by the commandant general of artillery, 
General D, Thomas Requena, who assures me that the enemy threw 
about three thousand cannon shots from two in tlie afternoon, when 
the battle commenced, until seven at night when it terminated — six 
hundred and fifty being fired on our side. 

The national arms shone forth, since they did not yield a hand's 
breadth of ground, notwithstanding the superiority in artillery of 
the enemy, who suffered much damage. 

Our troops have to lament the loss of two hundred and fifty two 
men, dispersed, wounded and killed, — the last worthy of national 
recollection and gratitude for the intrepidity with which they died 
fighting for the most sacred of causes. 

Will your excellency please with this note, to report to his ex- 
cellency the President, representing to him that I will take care to give 
a circumstantial account of this deed of arms ; and recommending to 
him the good conduct of all the generals, chief officers and soldiers 
under my orders, for sustaining so bloody a combat, which does honor 
to our arms and exhibits their discipline. 

Accept the assurances of ray consideration and great regard. 
God and Liberty ! 
Head Qlartehs Palo Alto, in sight of the enemy. May 8, 184G. 

Mariano Arista. 

Most Excellet^t Sin, Minister of War and Marine. 

The battle of Palo Alto will long be renienibered as one of the 



86 



LIFK OF GKNERAL TAYLOR. 



most brilliant in the annals of the republic. General Taylor 
advanced to it, with a force greatly inferior to that of the enemy, 
which with the usual mendacity of the Mexican officers is stated at 
only three thousand in the foregoing despatch. The confidence of 
the American commander in the efficiency of his troops, was so 
great that he advanced at a moment when twelve hours delay 
would have brought him a powerful reinforcement ; and he declared 
previous to his march that he should give battle to the enemy in 
whatever force he might appear. The result gloriously justified 
this generous confidence of the brave commander. 





^^?^i^»^^^yw^>-^ 



Lieutenant Blake rcconnoitering at Palo Alio. 




General Arista. 



CHAPTER V. 



SSattk of Mcgaca ^e la fialma. 



^ 




gle, yet th 



l^pHE Battle of Palo Alto was 
the prcliido to that of Resaca 
de la Palma. On the evening 
of the 8th, General Taylor 
held a council of officers to 
decide upon the propriety of 
advancing toward Fort Brown. 
.-> Though it was very evident 
~ that tlie enemy would oppose 
such a movement with all the 
determination of :i final strug- 
lieerfully resolved to advance. 

87 



88 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

Early on the following morning the army recommenced its march 
toward the Rio Grande. At the same time the Mexicans were ob- 
served moving from the ground occupied by them during the night, 
and silendy winding toward the chapparal on their front and flank. 
Observing this, General Taylor, having ordered the supply train to 
be strongly parked, and sending his wounded men to Point Isabel, 
moved forward seven miles to the edge of the thicket, which extends 
to the Rio Grande. At the same time the command of Captain 
McCall, fourth infantry, consisting of the light companies of the 
first brigade, under Captain Smith, Captain Walker with his Texan 
Rangers, a detachment of artillery and infantry under Captain 
McCall, and troop of Indiana dragoons under Lieutenant Pleasanton, 
in all two hundred and twenty men, were ordered forward into the 
chapparal, in order to ascertain the exact position of the enemy. 

At the departure of this detachment the main army halted, and 
the General accompanied by his staff, rode toward the train for the 
purpose of ascertaining its condition. One of his attendants was 
Lieutenant Blake, the same officer who had elicited so much admi- 
ration, by his courageous reconnoitre on the preceding day. Being 
excessively fatigued, he alighted from his horse, and after remark- 
ing upon his gratification at the anticipation of rest, he threw his 
sword, to which his pistols were attached, upon the ground. The 
concussion caused one of tliem to explode, its ball glancing upward, 
entering his thigh and penetrating to the lungs. He died in three 
hours, regretting that he had not received the wound in the battle 
of the previous day. 

The detachment of Captain Smith were now moving on the right 
of the road, while McCall with his artillery and infantry advanced 
on the left. The whole command soon entered the chapparal, when 
Captain Walker with his company and a small party of mounted 
men was ordered to examine the road in front, while Lieutenant 
Pleasanton with the dragoons, marched in the rear of the columns 
of infantry. They advanced tliree miles without encountering any 
but small straggling parties, one of whom, Captain Walker charged, 
killing one man and capturing another. 

After having crossed a prairie and examined the opposite side, 
Walker reported tlie road clear. Desiring, however, to obtain 



IJATTLK OF RESACA DE LA PALMA. 89 

definite infomiation as to the position of the enemy, McCall pushed 
him forward into the chapparal, where a few parlies, consisting of from 
tliree to six persons each, were oljserved among the Inishes, and one 
on horseback, was fired upon by tlie flankers. On reaching the open 
ground at Resaca de la Pahna, the head of Captain McCall's column 
received tliree rounds of canister shot from a masked battery, which 
killed one private and wounded two sergeants. This obliged them to 
retire undercover, but they soon afterwards rallied, at the distance of 
about fifty paces. Captain Smith's detachment was now brought to 
the left of the road, in order to attack by flank movement, what was 
supposed to be the rear guard of the enemy. Being now satisfied that 
die Mexican army was in full force on his front, McCall despatched 
three dnigoons to inform General Taylor of the fact, and then moved 
his command to a stronger position. 

In choosing tlieir ground for Uiis second batfle, the enemy had 
evinced considerable ingenuity. The road there crosses a ravine 
four or five feet deep, whose sides and edges are densely matted wiUa 
extended lines of chapparal. Along these lines the enemy had 
stationed tliemselves, placing their artillery in such positions within 
the ravine, as completely to sweep, by cross firing, the narrowest 
portion of tne road. 

Upon the reception of Captain McCall's message, the American 
commander immediately put his army in motion, and came up with 
the advance about four o'clock in the afternoon. Ridgely's* battery 

• RAxnoLPH RiDOELT is the son of General Charles S. Ridgcly, of Elkridge, 
Ann Arundel county, Marj-land. He belongs to the third artillery, and in the 
battle of the 9th did most valuable sen-ice with the light artillery battcrj' pre- 
viously commanded by Ringgold. The manner in which he took the battery 
into action at the commencement of that battle, and the skill and bravery with 
which he managed it, raised him high in the estimation of the army. 

At the commencement of the action on the 8th, after having advanced to 
within six hundred yards of the enemy's lines, and opening his battery with 
dreadful execution, Lieutenant Ridgely was detached from Major Ringgold with 
a section consisting of two pieces, to operate with the fifth infantrj-, which had 
been sent forward to oppose a flank movement of the enemy making on the 
right of the Americans. He had already lost one man and two horses, yet 
upon taking his position on the right of the fifth, who were formed in square, 
he at once unlimbored and commenced firing. The etTect of his fire was tre- 
mendous, and he ver>- shortly saw the enemy's artillery and cavalry-, which was 
in large forc«, retiring, and the grand movement of the enemy was fru.^tratcd. 

On the 9th, the ^Vmericans opened by Ridgely's batterj-. He was highly 
12 



90 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

and the advance under McCall were now sent forward to occupy the 
road and chapparal on either side. The 5tli infantry and one wing 
of the 4th was thrown into the forest on the left, and the 3d and other 
wing of the 4th, on the right of the road. These corps were em- 
ployed as skirmishers to cover the battery, and engage the Mexican 
infantry. 

Lieutenant Ridgely being now in front with his light artillery. 
Captain Walker was sent to assist him in discovering the enemy. 
After moving very cautiously for some time, Ridgely discovered the 
Mexicans in the road, about four hundred yards before him. He 
moved rapidly in front to the distance of about one hundred yards, 
and returned their fire. The 5th regiment advanced with loud 
cheers to his support, and the action became spirited, the grape shot 
of the enemy passing through the American battery in every direc- 
tion. Soon as this subsided, Ridgely moved forward, frequently 
discharging canister at the distance of not more than one hundred 
and fifty yards. At the same time the infantry of Captain McCall 
arrived, and, supported by the 4th infantry under Colonel Mcintosh, 
and the 3d, 4th, and 8th regiments under Morris, Allen, and iNIont- 
gomery, together with Duncan's battery, opened upon tlie enemy. 
The battle now became general, and raged with such fijr)', that 
though the artillery on both sides was doing ten-ible execution, 
neither army seemed disposed to yield an inch of ground. 

Observing the strong position of the enemy's batteries, General 
Taylor ordered May to charge them with his dragoons. This 
perilous undertaking was most fearlessly conducted. Riding in 
front of his eager horsemen, the captain ordered them to " follow," 
and tlie next moment they were rushing down upon the Mexican 
guns. The enemy reserved their fire until the horses were almost 
upon their caimon, and then poured forth a volley which killed 
eighteen horses and eight men, among whom was Lieutenant Inge. 
The remainder bore on, overleaped the batteries, and seized the 
guns ; but almost at the same moment tlie enemy rallied, and returned 

scrviceablo to Captain May, in drawing the fire of the ^Mexican artillcrj' pre- 
vious to the chare;e of that offirer. anJ witliout whicli, it is very ]>robahle that 
the American cavalry would have been ahnost annihilated. His fame as an 
active and successful oHicer is now high, and he has lately been appointed 
assistant adjutant-general, with the rank of captain. 



•n-:. I 



.:*» 







BATTLE OF RESACA DE LA PALMA. 91 

to the attack with fixed bayonets. They were again repulsed, with 
the loss of General la Vega, who was captured by May while in 
tlic act of discharging a cannon. The " Tampico veterans" now 
rushed on to the recovery of their guns, and being met by the 5th 
regiment, and a large body of infantry, a conflict commenced hand 
to hand, in whicli both parties fought with the most determined 
courajre, notwithstanding their heavy losses. But seventeen of these 
brave veterans escaped, the rest falling sword in hand at their 
positions. 

A part of tlie olh infantry under Colonel Mcintosh now charged 
across tlie enemy's station, carrying one of his centre batteries, and 
with the 3d ;uid 4th infantry, put to rout his left wing. In this afliiir 
the colonel was mortally wounded by a detachment of cavalry, whose 
whole charge he received personally. Ilis command devolved upon 
Major Staniford. 

Meanwhile Capt^iin Marcy had turned the enemy's left flank, 
and captured a piece of artillery. They were now pouring a heavy 
fire from a small breastwork containing about one hundred and fifty 
men and a cannon. Captain Buchanan was ordered to charge this 
defence, which he did with thirty men, capturing the piece, and 
bearing it to a place of safety. A second breastwork which had 
considerably annoyed his rear he also attacked with ten men, driving 
its garrison across the road. 

The 4th regiment, after taking the battery, pushed forward until 
it emerged from the thicket into the main camp of the enemy, con- 
taining General Arista's head-quarters, private property, and camp 
equipage, together with vast stores of baggage, provisions, ammuni- 
tion, and some four hundred mules, all of which fell into the hands 
of the Americans. The conquerors were obliged to lament the loss 
of Lieutenant Cochrane, who, while gallantly leading his men into 
the camp, fell at its very edge. 

The artillery battalion was now ordered to pursue the enemy, 
and with the 3d infantry, Captain Ker's dragoons, and Duncan's 
battery, followed them rapidly to the river, making a number of 
prisoners. The fugitives rushed headlong into the flat-boats, from 
whicli many of them were pushed into the water by the cavalry and 
lancers. Numbers were drowned, and die shore and boats presented 



93 



LIFf] OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 




Duncan's battery at Resaca de la Palm a. 



a scene of confusion and distress, heightened by the loud tramping 
of flying horsemen, and the cries of the drowning. The pursuers 
encamped on the bank, and the main body of their army on the tield 
of battle. 

The force of the Americans in this battle, together with otiier in- 
teresting matter not given in our description, will be gathered froni 
the detailed report of General Taylor, which we insert, omitting 
such portions as would occasion but a needless repetition. 

HEAD-QcAIlTF.nS, AnMT OF OcrUPATIOX, 7 

Camp near Fort Brown, Texas, May nth, 1846. 5 
Sir : — In submitting a more minute report of the affair of 
' Resaca de la Palma,' I have the honor to state, that early on the 
morning of the 9th instant, the enemy, who had encamped near the 
field of the day previous, was discovered moving by his left flank, 
perhaps to gain a new position on the road to Matamoras, and there 
again resist our advance. 

I ordered the supply train to he strongly parked at its position^ 
and left with it four pieces of artillery — the two eighteen pounders 



nvTrLi: of ri:saca dk la palma. 93 

which h:id done such good service on tlie preceding day, and two 
twelve pomulers which had not heen in the action. Tlie wounded 
ollicers and men were at the same time sent back to Point Isabel.* * ♦" * 

Captain McCall's command became at once eng;igcd with the 
enemy, while the light artillery, though in a very exposed position, 
did great execution. The enemy had at least eight pieces of artillery, 
and maintained an incessant tire upon our advance. * * * * * The 
enemv was at last completely driven from his position on the right 
of the road, and retreated prccipitiitely, leaving baggage of every de- 
scription. The fourth infantry took possession of a camp where 
the head-quarters of the Mexican general-in-chief were established. 
All his oflici;il correspondence was captured at this place. 

The strength of our marching force on this day was one hundred 
and seventy-three officers, and 2093 men — aggregate 2222. The 
actual number engaged with the enemy did not exceed 1700. Our 
loss was three officers killed, thirty-six men killed, and seventy-one 
wounded. Among the officers killed I have to report the loss of 
Lieutenant Inge, second dragoons, who fell at the head of his platoon 
while gallandy charging the enemy's battery ; of Lieutenant Cochrane 
of the fourth, and Lieutenant Chadbourne of the eighth infantry, 
who likewise met their death in the thickest of the fight. The 
officers wounded were LieuteTiant-Colonel Payne, inspector-general; 
Lieutenant Dobbins, third infantry, serving with the light infantry 
advance, slighdy ; Lieutenant-Colonel Mcintosh, fifth infantry, 
severely, twice ; Captain Ilooe, fifth infantry, severely, (right arm 
since amputated;) Lieutenant Fowler, fifth infantry, slightly; Cap- 
tain Montgomery, eighth infantry, slighUy ; Lieutenants Gates and 
Jordan, eigluh infantry, severely, (each twice;) Lieutenants Seldcn, 
Maclay, Burbank, and Morris, eighth infantry, slighdy. 

I have no accurate data from which to estimate the enemy's 
force on this day. He is known to have been reinforced after the 
action of the 8th, both by cavalry and infantry, and no doubt to an 
extent equal to his loss on that day. It is probable that six thousand 
men were opposed to us, and in a position chosen by themselves, 
and strongly defended with artillery. The enemy's loss was very 
great. Nearly two hundred of his dead were buried by us on the 
days succeeding the batde. His loss in killed and wounded and 



94 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

missing in the two affairs of the 8th and 9th is, I think, moderately 
estimated at one thousand men. 

Our victory has been decisive. A small force has overcome 
immense odds of the best troops that ^lexico can furnish — veteran 
regiments, perfecdy equipped and appointed. Eight pieces of artillery, 
several colors and standards, a great number of prisoners, including 
fourteen officers, and a large amount of baggage and pubhc property 
have fallen into our hands. ******* I take this occasion to 
mention generally the devotion to duty of the medical staff of the 
army, who have been untiring in their exertions both in the field 
and in the hospitals, to alleviate the sufferings of the wounded of 
both armies. ****** 

One regimental color (battalion of Tampico) and many standards 
and guidons of cavalry were taken at the affair of the 9th : I would 
be pleased to receive your instructions as to the disposition to be 
made of these trophies ; whether they shall be sent to Washington, 
&c.* I am very respectfuUy, your obedient servant, 

Z. Taylor, 
Brevet Brigadier General, U. S. A. Commanding. 
The Adjutant Gexeual of the Army, 
Washingto?i, D. C. 

Captain May's charge, one of the most brilliant movements of 
that eventful day, is thus described by Sergeant Milton, who shared 
its dangers : 

" Our troops stood anxiously waiting for the signal to be given, 
and never had I looked upon men, upon whose countenances was 
more clearly expressed a fixed determination to win. The lips of some 
were pale with excitement, and their eyes wore that fixed expres- 
sion which betokens mischief; others with shut teeth would quietly 
laugh and catch a tighter grip of the rein, or seat themselves with 
care and firmness in the saddle, while quiet words of confidence 
and encouragement were passed from each to his neighbor. All at 
once Captain May rode to the front of his troop — every rein and 
sabre was tightly grasped. Raising himself and pointing at the 
battery, he shouted, ' Men, folloiv!'' 'i'here was now a clattering 
of hoofs and a raiding of sabre sheaths — the fire of the enemy's 

* These trophies arc now in the ollice of the War Department at Wash- 
mgton. The regimental color is of embroidered silk. 



BATTLK OF RESACA DK LA PALMA. 95 

gims was partly drawn by Lieutenant Ridgcly, and the next mo- 
ment we were sweepin<^ like the wind up the ravine. I was in a 
squad of about nine men, who were separated by a shower of 
grape from the battery, and we were in advance. May leading. He 
turned his horse opposite to the breast work in -front of the guns, 
and with another shout ' to follow,' leaped over them." 

Nothing could exceed the exultation of the defenders of Fort 
Brown, on learning the triumph of General Taylor. As the ad- 
vance columns of the American army emerged from the surrounding 
diickets in pursuit of the fugitives, the air rang with welcoming 
shouts that actually drowned the noise of artillery ; and for the 
first night since the 1st of May, they felt that they were perfectly 
secure. 

On the following day an exchange of prisoners took place, when 
the army recovered, among others. Captain Thornton, and dismissed 
tlie enemy on parole. General la Vega voluntarily remained, de- 
claring that his army would not permit him to remain neutral in 
Mexico. 

On the morning of the Uth, General Taylor left Fort Brown 
for Point Isabel ; and after an interview with Commodore Con- 
ner,* commander of the American Gulf squadron, in which they 

• This inter\icw is thus humorously described by the New Orleans Tropic, 
of July 25th, 1846. — "The singular simplicity that marks Gen. Taylor's per- 
sonal appearance and habits, have become a subject of universal fame. It is 
curious that a soldier, so eminent in all the qualities of discipline, should be so 
citizen-looking in his own appearance. A curious scene occurred at Point 
Isabel, at the time Com. Conner appeared oflf that place with his fleet, to give 
succor to the " Army of Occupation." Com. Conner is a naval ofliccr that is 
not only strict in his dress, but has a Philadelphia nicety about it. He appears 
in full and sjjlendid uniform on all public occasions, being the exact counter- 
part in this particular of Gen. Taylor. 

At the proper time, Com. Conner sent word to Gen. Taylor, that he would 
come ashore to pay him a visit of ceremony. This put old " Rough and 
Keadv" into a tremendous excitement. If Com. Connor had quietly come up 
to his tent, and given him a sailor's grip, and sat down on a camp chest, and 
talked over matters in an old-fashioned way, Gen. Taylor would have been 
prepared ; but to have the most carefully dressed officer in our Navy, com- 
mandimr the finest fleet, to come in full uniform, surrounded by all the glitter- 
ing poini) of splendid eciuipmcnts — to pay a visit of ceremony, was more than 
Gen. Taylor had, without some cflbrt, nerve to go through with ; but, ever 
equal to emergencies, he determined to compUment Com. Conner, and through 
him the Navy, by appearini;; in full uniform, a thing his officers associated 
with him for years, had never witnessed. 



96 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

concerted plans of co-operation, he set out on the 13th, on his return. 
On his way he received intelligence that a large body of the enemy 
had reached Matamoras, with the intention of collecting in force at 
Barita, a neighboring village. In consequence of this news he 
changed his plan and returned to Point Isabel ; at this place he was 
greeted with the sight of a considerable reinforcement of Louisiana 
and Alabama troops, both regular and volunteer, who had just 
arrived directly from New Orleans. This accession of strength 
enabled him to draw from that station a much larger force than he 
had at first intended ; so that on the 14th, when he again set out for 
Fort Brown, he was accompanied by six hundred men, a train of 
artillery, nearly three hundred wagons, and a large amount of 
equipage and military stores. He reached his camp without any 
molestation from the enemy. 

On the afternoon of the next day Colonel Wilson, M'ith four 
companies of regulars and three of volunteers, crossed the river and 
look undisputed possession of the reported depot at Barita. The 
property and rights of the citizens were respected, and the station 
soon became one of importance to the army. 

The batde of Resaca de la Palma closed the purely defensive 
operations of General Taylor; and in his subsequent proceedings,- 
he was operating entirely in the enemy's country, and on the offen- 
sive. After the victory the relative disposition of both armies was 

In the meanwhile Com. Conner was cogitating over the most proper way to 
compUment Gen. Taylor. Having heard of liis pecuhar disregaril of mihtary 
dress, he concluded he would make the visit in a manner comporting to Gen, 
Taylor's habits, and consequently equipped himself in plain white drilling, and 
unattended, came ashore. 

The moment old " Rough and Ready" heard that Com. Conner had landed, 
he abandoned some heavy work he was personally attending to about the 
camp, and precipitately rushed into his tent, delved at the bottom of an old 
chest, and pulled out a uniform coat, that had peacefully slumbered for years 
in undisturlicd quietude, slipped himself into it, in his haste fastening it so tliat 
one side of the standing collar was three button-holes above the other, and sat 
himself dowm as uncomfortable as can well be imagined. With quiet step and 
unattended. Com. Conner presented himself at Gen. Taylor's tent ; the two 
soldiers shook hands, both in exceeding astonishment at each other's personal 
appearance. 

The wags in the army say, that the above contains the only authentic 
account where Gen. Taylor was ever headed, und shice that time, he has 
taken to Unen roundabouts of the largest dimensions, with more pertinacity 
than ever." 



BATTLE OF RESACA DE LA PALMA. 



97 



changed, and llic Mexicans no longer ihouglit of resisting the 
victorious General in an open field. In the subsequent chapters, 
therefore, we must no longer look for the Americans, besieged in a 
breastwork, and restricted from every thing, except an active defence ; 
but wo shall follow them in rapid marches across the territory, over- 
throwing all opposition, and capturing the towns and fortifications 
which obstructed their progress. 

The battles of the 8lh and 9th of May were of immense im- 
portance, not only on account of their accomplishing the relief of 
Fort Brown, and the expulsion of the enemy from tiie territory 
of the United States ; but from their moral effect on both nations. 
To the enemy these batdes were a sad warning of the future, a 
foretaste of defeat. To our own countrymen they gave the presage 
of success, the undoubting confidence which was destined to be 
justified by their subsequent career of victory and conquest. 










^i^^^ /^^^ 



c 



^^^^p?l^ 




_^&.^7^Wvi*____ 



City of Mat! 



CHAPTER VI. 



iaptttce of 0iBtura^xB^. 




^i^^ 



HE want of the necessary means of 
transportation prevented General Tay- 
lor Ironi pursuing his victory of the 
Olh, liy an attack upon jMatanioras. 
Upon arriving however from Point 
Isabel, he made every exertion in order 
to enahle his army to cross the river ; 
Hid he was so far successful as in a 
lew days to be prepared for the pro- 
posed crossing. 

Matamoras is built in the old Span- 
i.Ii style of architecture, and though 



ancient grandeur has much decayed, it is still one of the largest 

99 



100 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

cities of northern Mexico. Besides cathedrals and other public 
buildings, it is ornamented with an extensive " Plaza" or public 
square, regularly laid out and situated in the centre of the city. A 
correspondent of the New Orleans Bee, and member of the army, 
thus describes the general appearance of its buildings. 

" Matamoras is a much handsomer place than I expected to find 
it. It covers two miles square, though by no means as compact as 
an American city — every house except those around the public 
square, having a large garden attached. The houses in the business 
part of the town are built after the American fashion, though seldom 
exceeding two stories in height. All the windows to these buildings 
are grated from top to bottom with iron bars, and half of the door 
opens only for admittance, which gives them the appearance of prisons 
more than business houses. The public square is in the centre of 
the town, and must have been laid off by an American or European, 
for the Mexicans never could have laid it out with such beauty and 
precision. On the four sides of the square, the houses are built close 
together, as in block, and are aU of the same size and height, with 
the exception of the cathedral, which, though unfinished, still 
towers above the others. In these houses are sold dry goods, gro- 
ceries and every kind of wares, with now and then an exchange or 
coffee house. They are principally occupied by Europeans, and 
you can hear French, English, Spanish and German spoken at ttib 
same time. After leaving the public square, on either side, the 
houses decrease in size and beauty for two or three squares, when 
the small reed and thatched huts commence, and continue to the 
extreme limits of the place." 

After the batde of the l)th, the city swarmed wiili robbers and 
desperadoes of every kind. All military and civil law being at an 
end, in consequence of the defeat of Arista, they united in bands, 
broke open houses, robbed and murdered the inhabitants, and filled 
every square with distress and terror. Besides this, hundreds of the 
wounded and dying were stowed into the houses, and many left tliere 
to perish. The situation of these poor creatures is thus vividly 
described by the above writer. 

" In walking through the streets, my attention was attracted to a 
house, in the door of which stood or leaned two half naked Mexicans, 



CAPTURE OF MATAMORAS. 101 

so wo-bcgonc as to cause me to lialt. On my nearing the door a 
most disagreeable stench almost induced me to turn, but I mustered 
courage to enter the door. On the floor, lying upon mats without 
covering, were near fifty Mexicans, wounded in the late engagpnients, 
attended by some ten or twelve women. The smell of the place 
was insufferable, and I had to leave it. The next door was the same, 
and so on for about twenty houses. A friend of mine called my at- 
tention to a room in which there were at least forty of these misera- 
ble objects ; and this room was scarcely twelve feet square. There 
was not positively room for the nurses to attend them. Some had 
lost a leg, others an arm, and some both legs and arms. I noticed 
one who will certainly get well, whose legs were shot oflT within two 
or three inches above the knee, and he seemed to me to have a 
greater flow of spirits than some who had only flesh wounds. I 
said to him, that had his wounds been made by a Mexican shot, he 
would have been dead ; to which he rephed, the American shot was 
very good — no poisonous copper in them. One had died just before 
I entered the room, and they were making preparations to carry him 
out. He had been shot in the mouth by a rifle ball, which passed 
under tlie left ear, and had lived from the 9th, up to this time. There 
are between three hundred and fifty and four hundred of these horrid 
objects in this place, and a sight of them would induce many a stout 
heart to lament the horrors of war. These men give the number of 
killed and wounded on the 9th much greater than the Americans ever 
claimed — some say twelve hundred, and some fifteen hundred." 

Having completed his preparations for an attack, General Taylor, 
on the 16lh, ordered Lieutenant-Colonel Wilson to make a digres- 
sion on tlie side of Barita, while the main body crossed above the 
town. Early on the 17th, orders to march had been issued, and 
Colonel Twiggs was about to cross, when the American commander 
was waited upon by General Requena, who had been empowered 
by Arista to treat for an armistice, which should last until both 
governments should settle the subject of dispute. The General re- 
plied that an armistice was out of the question ; that a month since 
he had proposed one to Ampudia, which was declined ; that large 
reinforcements were now reaching him, and although he had neitlier 
invited nor provoked hostilities, yet having proceeded thus far, he 



102 



LU-E OF (JENEKAL TAYLOR. 



would not now suspend them. He added that the capture of the 
city was certain, but that Arista might withdraw liis forces, on con- 
dition of leaving the property of the city uninjured. 





Market Place 



[atamoras. 



Operations were now suspended until three o'clock, the time 
appointed for Arista's answer; but that answer not arriving, General 
Taylor immediately commenced the crossing, intending to attack the 
town on the following morning. The Americans expected to have 
tlieir landing disputed; but in this they were disappointed, and it 
was soon ascertained that Arista had abandoned the city with all his 
troops; — the armistice petition being b\it a device to gain time. 
When the crossing had been ellccted, and the troops concentrated on 
the Mexican shore, a parley was sounded, and a stalT otlicer des- 
patched to the Prefect of INIatamoras, demanding a surrender. At 
the same time active preparations were in progress for an assault. 
These were arrested by a message from the authorities that the city 



CAPTOR I-: OF MATAMORAS. 103 

was at General Taylor's disposal. He areordingly entered, and 
after crcctinff the flag of his country upon the highest station, took 
possession of the city. 

Tlie command of Matamoras was entrusted to Colonel Twiggs,* 
who was dignified with the title of governor. II is Mexican prede- 
cessor, having by his cruelty and duplicity, disgusted both Americans 
and citizens, was dismissed from office, and soon after left the city. 
The army found immense quantities of military and other stores, 
wliich had been secreted by Arista previous to his hasty flight, or 
thrown nito wells and Ijushcs in the hurry of retreat. Strict orders 
were issued iiy the new governor concerning the rights and property 
of the citizens, and all business was allowed to go on as usual, ex- 
cept the sale of spirituous liquors. At first the inhabitants evidently 
regarded the Americans as a band of robbers; but after the above 
regulations, and the restoration of order, this feeling subsided, and 
they soon became familiar, and even intimate with the conquerors. 

The principal depot of the enemy had thus become the peaceful 
possession of the valorous few who had conquered at Palo Alto and 

* David E. Twigrs is a native of Georgia, and entered the army as captain 
of the eighth regiment of inRintrj- on the 12th of March, 1812. He served with 
distinction in the war with Great Britain, and continued in the army after its 
close. On the 14th of May, 1825, lie was appointed major, and on the 8th of 
June, 183G, was promoted to colonel of the second regiment of dragoons. At 
the commencement of the Mexican war his regiment formed a part of the army 
of occupation; and in every affair in which he has taken part, he has figured as 
a most talented and intrepid officer. 

On the 25th of March, 1846, be was detached by General Taylor, to save 
Point Isabel, which had been fired b^' the Mexicans. This movement he ef- 
fected with i)romptncss and encrg}\ and succeeded in rescuing several of the 
burning buildings. On the 8th of May he led the right wing of the army, and 
on the 9th, after distinguishing himself in the battle, was entrusted with the 
arrangements for the exchange of prisoners. For his conduct in these two 
battles, government promoted him to the rank of brigadier-general. He led the 
van at Matamoras, and as we have seen, was appointed its governor. At the 
storming of Monterey, he was ordered to make a diversion in favor of General 
Worth, and being attacked by the enemy, he had an opportunity to display his 
generalship in a verj' conspicuous manner. After the capitulation, he remained 
with General Taylor until he was detached by order of Major-Gcneral .Scott, 
and proceeded to join that officer. 

The change of position allorded General Twiggs another opportunity to dis- 
play his talent.s as an officer. He enacted a conspicuous part at Vera Cruz, and 
after its cvaruation was appointed governor, in the exercise of whose duties 
he soon restored the city to trancjuillity. He fought at Sierra Gordo, and sub- 
sequently captured the city of Jalapa, where he still remains. 



104 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

Resaca de la Palma. It was the sequel and reward of the victories 
which had been acquired with so much fatigue and suffering; and 
the Americans were henceforth to be roofed by habitable houses, and 
to enjoy conveniences and privileges which long deprivation had 
rendered luxuries. 

Immediately after the capture of .Matamoras and tlie restoration 
of public quiet, General Taylor issued the following proclamation to 
the inhabitants of Mexico. 

A PROCLAMATION 

By the General commanding the Army of the United States of America, to 
the People of Mexico. 

After many years of patient endurance, the United States are at 
length constrained to acknowledge that a war now exists between 
our government and the government of Mexico. For many years 
our citizens have been subjected to repeated insults and injuries, our 
vessels and cargoes have been seized and confiscated, our merchants 
have been plundered, maimed, imprisoned without cause and without 
reparation. At length your government acknowledged the justice 
of our claims, and agreed by treaty, to make satisfaction by payment 
of several milhons of dollars ; but this treaty has been violated by 
your rulers, and the stipulated payment has been withheld. Our late 
effort to terminate all the difficulties by peaceful negotiation has been 
rejected by the dictator Paredes, and our minister of peace, whom 
your rulers had agreed to receive, has been refused a hearing. He 
has been treated with indignity and insult, and Paredes has announced 
that war exists between us. This war, thus first proclaimed by him, 
has been acknowledged as an existing fact by our President and 
Congress with perfect unanimity, and will be prosecuted with vigor 
and energy against )'our army and rulers ; but those of the Mexican 
people who remain neutral will not be molested. 

Your government is in the hands of tyrants and usiirjicrs. They 
have abolished your state governments, they have overthrown your 
federal constitution, they have deprived you of the right of suffrage, 
destroyed the liberty of the press, despoiled you of your arms, and 
reduced you to a state of absolute dependence upon the power of a 
military dictator. Your armies and rulers extort from the people by 



CAPTURH OF MATAMORAS. 105 

grievous taxation, by forced loans and military seizures, the very 
money which sustains tlie usurpers in their power. Being dis- 
armed, you were left defenceless, and as an easy prey to the savage 
Camanches, who not only destroy your lives and property, but drive 
into captivity more horrible than death itself your wives and chil- 
dren. It is your military rulers who have reduced you to this de- 
plorable condition. It is these tyrants and their corrupt and cruel 
satellites, gorged with the people's treasure, by whom you are thus 
oppressed and impoverished, some of whom have boldly advocated 
a monarchical govei^ment, and would place a European prince upon 
the throne of Mexico. We come to obtain reparation for repeated 
wrongs and injuries ; we come to obtain indemnity for the past, and 
security for the future ; we come to overthrow the tyrants who have 
destroyed }our liberties ; but we come to make no war upon the 
people of Mexico, nor upon any form of free government tliey may 
choose to select for themselves. 

It is our wish to see you liberated from despots, to drive back 
the savage Camanches, to prevent the renewal of their assaults, and 
to compel them to restore to you from captivity your long lost wives 
and children. Your religion, your altars, your churches, the pro- 
perty of your churches and citizens, the emblems of your faith and 
its ministers, shall be protected, and remain inviolable — hundreds of 
our army, and hundreds of thousands of our citizens are members 
of the Catholic church. In every state, and in nearly every city 
and village of our Union, Catholic churches exist, and the priests 
perform their holy functions in peace and security under the sacred 
guarantee of our constitution. We come among the people of Mexico 
as friends and republican brethren, and all who receive us as such, 
shall be protected, whilst all who are seduced into the army of your 
dictator shall be treated as enemies. We shall want from you 
nothing but food for our army, and for this you shall always be paid 
in cash the full value. It is the settled policy of your tyrants to 
deceive you in regard to the character and policy of our government 
and people. Tiiese tyrants fear the example of our free institutions, 
and constantly endeavor to misrepresent our purposes, and inspire 
you with hatred for your republican brethren of the American Union. 
Give us but the opportunity to undeceive you, and you will soon 
II 



106 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

learn that all the representations of Paredes were false, and were only 
made to induce you to consent to the estabUshment of a despotic 
government. In your struggle for liberty with the Spanish monarchy, 
thousands of our countrymen risked their lives and shed their blood 
in your defence. Our own commodore, the gallant Porter, main- 
tained in triumph your flag upon the ocean, and our government 
was the first to acknowledge your independence. With pride and 
pleasure we enrolled your name on the list of independent republics, 
and sincerely desired that you might in peace and prosperity enjoy 
all the blessings of free government. Success 6n the part of your 
tyrants against the army of the Union is impossible ; but if they 
could succeed, it would only be to enable them to fill your towns 
with their soldiers, eating out your subsistence, and harassing you 
with still more grievous taxation. Already they have abolished the 
liberty of the press as the first step towards the introduction of that 
monarchy which it is their real purpose to proclaim and establish. 

Mexicans, we must treat as enemies, and overthrow the tyrants, 
who, whilst they have wronged and insulted us, have deprived you 
of your liberty ; but the Mexican people who remain neutral during 
the contest, shall be protected against their military despots by the 
republican army of the Union. 

Z. Taylor, 
Brevet Major-General U. S. A. Commanding." 




I 



Igr ;.:«*, 



■:mm. 






nii'l', 





Pa redes. 

CHAPTER VII. 




compassed with difficulties 



orming of PTijnUifs. 



HE Americans \vere now effectively 
established on the Mexican soil. 
General Taylor had crossed the Rio 
Grande, and planted his victorious 
standard upon the fortresses of Mata- 
moras. The threatened dangers of 
his camp were removed, and the bat- 
tles of the 8lh and 9th of May had 
freed him from the immediate presence 
of the enemy. But he was still en- 
To remain in the city would give the 
107 



108 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

enemy opportunity to recover from tlie panic of defeat, and concen- 
trate a large force in the interior, and he had neither provisions nor 
means of transportation sufficient to enable him to undertake a march 
through a hostile country. In addition to this, the express com- 
mands of government were that he should act only on the defensive 
until the amount of his men and provisions would justify him in 
proceeding otherwise. Numbers of volunteers were continually 
arriving at Point Isabel, but the scarcity of supplies was so great, 
that they served rather to burden the General and disconcert his 
plans than to afford him any assistance. These difficulties might 
have appalled a less enterprising man than Taylor; but, so far 
from wishing to remain inactive when victory and other circum- 
stances would have justified it, he dared to plan an attack upon 
Monterey. 

Meanwhile, important movements were going on at the city of 
Mexico. The defeat of Arista had rendered him unpopular, and a 
spirit of anarchy pervaded all classes. Arista, however, organized 
a body of the revolutionists, and defied the power of his antago- 
nists ; but an election of June 1 6th ended his authority by appointing 
General Paredes as President and commander-in-chief, and General 
Bravo, governor of Vera Cruz, as Vice-President. 

In June, the American army received large accessions of volunteers 
from different states, but so great were the difficulties which we- 
have mentioned, that it was not able to leave Matamoras before the 
5th of August. In the mean time the Texan Rangers, under Captain 
MeCulloch, had captured the ports of Micr, Reynosa, and Camargo, 
to the latter of which General Taylor directed his march. At the 
same time General Worth was sent to San Juan, and Captain Wall 
to Reynosa. 

On the 5th of September, General Taylor received intelligence 
that the Mexican government had entrusted the defence of Monterey 
to General Arevalo, assisted by Ampudia, who had recently entered 
it with a reinforcement of three thousand men. He immediately 
marched toward the city, leaving the superintendence of minor afTairs 
in the care of Major-General Patterson. In his march he passed 
through Seralvo, the head-quarters of General Worth, and on the 
morning of the 19lh reached the Walnut Springs, three miles from 



STORMING OF MONTEREY. 109 

Monterey, and commanding a fine view of its buildings ami fortifi- 
cations. 

Monterey is a strong city, built like Matamoras in the old Spanish 
style, and surrounded by massive stone walls, which are defended 
by ditches, bastions, and towers. The houses are of stone, and 
mostly of one story in height; but the cathedrals and public build- 
ings, like most of those in Mexico, are large and imposing. The 
Mexicans had taken every precaution for its successful delence, and 
not only were the walls and parapets lined with cannon, but even 
the private houses were fortified, and the streets barricaded and 
planted with artillery in such a manner as to sweep their whole 
extents. On the hill Independence, at some distance from the city, 
and near the Saltillo road, were a few fortifications, the principal of 
which was the Bishop's Palace, an immense edifice, including several 
strong buildings of a pyramidal form, all rigidly fortified, and lined 
with troops and artillery.* 

The first oflTer of resistance displayed by the enemy was on the 

• Prior to the arrival of General Taylor before the city, the following pro- 
clamation had been circulated in the Mexican camp. It is useful as showing 
the mounted force then hovering round the American army, and the estimation 
in which General Ampudia regarded his opponent's force. 

The General-in-chief of the Army of the North, to hh companions in arms. 

Soldiers — The enemy, numbering only 2500 regular troops, the remainder 
being only a band of adventurers without valor or discipline, are, according to 
reliable information, about advancing upon Seralvo to commit the barbarity of 
attacking this most important place. — we count nearly three thousand regulars 
and auxiliary cavalry, and these will defeat them again and again before they 
can reach this city. Soldiers, we are constructing fortifications to make the 
base of our operations secure, and hence we will sally forth at a convenient 
time, and drive back this enemy at the point of the bayonet. 

Soldiers — Three great virtues make the soldier worthy of his profession; — 
discipline, constancy under fatigue, and valor. He who at this moment would 
desert his colors, is a coward and a traitor to his countrj-. Our own nation, 
and even foreign countries, are tiic witnesses of your conduct. The question 
now is, whether our independence shall be preserved, or for ever lost, and its 
solution is in your hands. 

I have assured the supreme government of the triumph of our arms, confid- 
ing in your loyalty and enthusiasm, and we will prove to the whole world that 
we are worthy sons of the immortal Hidalgo, Morelo, Allende, Iturbide, and s;> 
many other heroes who knew how to die combating for the independence of 
our cherished country. 

SoK'iers — Victory or death must be our only device. 

PEDRO DE AMPUDIA. 

Head-Quaiters, Monterey, Sept. 14th, 1846. 



110 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

18lh, when General Taykn- with a detachment of dragoons and 
Texan Rangers was fired upon when wiihni two hundred yards of 
the city, the first ball striking the ground within about ten yards of 
the spot where he stood. About the same time two hundred and 
sixty Mexican cavalry appeared on the plain, and, after firing a few 
volleys, retired into the city. 

'J'he appearance of the heights and gorges in the direction of the 
Sallillo road, induced General Taylor to believe it practicable to turn 
all the works in that direction, and thus cut off the enemy's line of 
communication. Accordingly, after establishing his camp at the 
Walnut Springs, he ordered a close reconnoisance of that ground, 
which was executed on the evening of the 19th by the engineer 
officers under the direction of Mnjor IMansfield. A reconnoisance 
of the eastern approaches was at the same time made by Captain 
Williams, of the topograj)hical engineers. The examination made 
by Major Mansfield proved the entire practicability of throwing for- 
ward a column to the Saltillo road, and thus turninsj the position of 
the enemy. As this was an operation of essential importance, orders 
were given to Brevet Brigadier-General Worth, commanding the 
second division, to march with his command on the 20th, in order 
to turn the hill of the Bishop's Palace, to occupy a position on the 
Saltillo road, and to carry as many of the enemy's detached works 
in that quarter as possible. The first regiment of Texas mounted 
volunteers, under command of Colonel Hays, was associated with 
the second division in this service. Captain Sanders (engineers), 
and Lieutenant Meade (topographical engineers), were also ordered 
to report to General Worth for duty with his column. 

A two o'clock, p. M., on the 20th, the second division took up 
its march. Some officers who were reconnoiiering the town, soon 
discovered and communicated to General Worth, that his move- 
ment had been perceived, and that the Mexicans were throwing 
reinforcements towards the Bishop's Palace and tiie height which 
cominands it. In order to divert their attention as far as practical)le, 
the first division, under Brigadier- General Twiggs, ami field division 
of volunteers, under Major-Gcneral Butler, were displayed in front 
of the town until dark. Arrangements were made at the same time 
to place in battery, during the night, at a suitable distance from the 



STORMINC OF .MO.NTi-RKY. 



enemy's iii;iiii work, (ihc citaiirl) two Iwriiiy-lour pouiiclcr howit- 
zers, and a tcii-iiK-h luorlar, willi a view to open a lire on llie follow- 
ing day, die time proposed for making a diversion in favor of 
General Wortli's movement. The fourth infantry covered this 
battery during the night; and General Worth having made a recon- 
noisance as far as the Sallillo road, bivouacked at a defensive position 
within range of a battery above the Bishop's Palace. 




s=^_i-^ 






Twiggs. 



Early on the mornin<r of the 21st. General Taylor received a note 
from CJeneral Worth, written at nine o'clock the previous evening, and 
suggesting a strong diversion against the centre and left of the town, 
to favor the enterprise against the heights in the rear. This the 
commander had already intended, and accordingly, the infantry and 
artillery of the first division, and the field division of volunteers, 
were ordered under arms, and took the direction of the city, leaving 
one company of each regiment as a camp guard. The second 



112 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

dragoons under LieutcuaiU-Colonel May, and Colonel Wood's regi- 
ment of Texas mounted volunteers, under the immediate direction 
of Geaeral Henderson, were directed to the right to support General 
Worth, if necessary, and to make an impression if practicable, upon 
the upper quarter of the city. Upon approaching the mortar bat- 
tery, the first and third regiments of infantry and battalion of Balti- 
more and Washington volunteers, with Captain Bragg's field 
battery — the whole under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel 
Garland — were directed toward the lower part of the town with 
orders to make a strong demonstration, and carry one of the enemy's 
advanced works, if it could be done without too heavy a loss. 
Major Mansfield (engineers). Captain AVilliams, and Lieutenant Pope, 
(topographical engineers) accompanied this cohunn, the major being 
charged with its direction and the designation of the points of attack. 
At daylight of the 21st, the colunna of General Worth was again 
put in motion, and was so arranged as to present ready order of battle 
at any point on which they might be assailed. While turning the 
point of a ridge which protruded toward the enemy's guns, they 
were fired upon by a howitzer and twelve pounder, and soon after 
while passing round an angle of the mountain at a hacienda called 
San Jeronima, they encountered a strong force of cavalry and in- 
fantry. Captain Gillespie ordered his men to halt and place them-, 
selves in ambush. This movement was not perceived by the enemy 
who bore on full speed, until received by iMcCuUoch's company, 
together with the artillery of Captains Smith and Scott, aided by 
Lieutenant Longstreet's company of the eighth inflintry, and another 
of the same regiment. Captain Duncan's battery of light artillery 
was in action in one minute, discharging thick showers of grape, 
which did great execution. At the end of fifteen minutes the 
enemy scattered and fled, leaving about one hundred on the field, 
of whom diirty were killed. The Americans rapidly pursued, and 
obtained possession of the gorge, where all tlie dehouches fro.n 
Monterey unite, so that the force just defeated, as also reinforce- 
ments and supplies, were excluded from entering the city. 

The light batteries were now driven upon the slope of the ridge, 
and the howitzers opened upon the heights of Palace Hill. Soon 
after the enemy replied from a nine pounder, situated on the eleva- 



SToiniiXG OF monterp:y. 



113 




tion immediately over the right of the column and directed at Dun- 
can's batteries. This had no other effect than to cause the removal 
of the colonel's guns to a less exposed position about half a mile 
furtlier on the Saltillo road. Here he was joined by General Worth, 
who had ordered the foot regiments to form along the fence, near 
the point of the ridge. At half past ten, the column moved towards 
the General's position, amid a continual fire from the enemy, by 
which Captain McKavett, of the eighth infantry, was shot through 
the heart, with a nine pound ball, and a private of the fifth infantry 
mortally wounded in the ihigh. 

In consequence of this severe annoyance, Worth determined to 
make himself master of the heights. Besides the impracticability 
of effective operations against the city until this was accomplished, 
their occupation was indispensable to the restoration of the line of 
communication with head quarters, which had been necessarUy 
15 



114 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

abandoned, in order to secure the gorges of the Saliillo road. At 
noon, therefore, a force was despatched under Captain C. F. Smith, 
with orders to storm tlie batteries on the crest of the nearest hill, 
called by the Mexicans, Federacion, and after taking that to carry 
the fort, called Soldada, on the ridge of the same height, retired 
about SIX hundred yards. This command consisted of four compa- 
nies of the artillery battalion, and Green's, McGowan's, R, A. Gilles- 
pie's, Chandler's, Ballonc's, and McCuUoch's companies of Texan 
rifleman, acting in concert under Major Chevalier — in all about 
three hundred men. 

The assailants advanced with ardor, but as the distance to be 
climbed after reaching the foot of the hill was full quarter of a mile, 
over jagged and almost perpendicular rocks, and sandy ledges, it 
was impossible to approach so rapidly as to surprise the enemy. 
While they were approaching the base of the mountain, the guns 
of both batteries opened a plunging fire, and numerous light troops 
were observed descending and arranging themselves at favorable 
positions on the slopes. Perceiving this. General Worth ordered 
Captain Miles with the seventh infantry to support the first party. 
By marching directly to the foot of the ridge, they arrived first, and 
the captain despatched Lieutenant Gantt, with a detachment of men 
upon the hill side, to divert the attention of the enemy from Captain 
Smith's party, which could not yet be seen. The seventh infantry 
had already sustained a heavy fire of grape and round shot, while 
fording the San Juan; and now Lieutenant Gantt's party were 
greeted with another shower, which lore up the shrubs and loose 
stones in every direction. None were injured, but their young officer 
narrowly escaped a shot, which struck the ground so near him as to 
throw fragments of rofk and gravel in his fiice. Nothwithstanding 
this fire, and a continual discharge of musketry, the detachment con- 
tinued to advance, driving the Mexicans back until they were 
recalled. 

Captain Smith now arrived ami l)o!h [lartirs inovt'd up the hill, 
the rangers in advance, antl tlic attack coinnKMiccd. The firing soon 
became general, and after a litilc while the Mexicans yielded, retiring 
slowly up the hill, steadily follo\v(Hl by the Americans. Heavy re- 
inforcements now appeared on the sunnuit, and the cardinal import- 




'^^*^^ % . vim 



r 



STORMING OF MONTEREY. 115 

ance of the operation induced General Worth to detach to tlicir 
support the fifth infantry under Major Scott, and Blanchard's com- 
panies of vohinteers, accompanied by Brigadier-General Smitli, who 
was intrusted with the superintendence of the whole assault. On 
reaching the advance parties, General Smith discovered that by 
directing a portion of the force to the right, and moving it obliquely 
up the hill, he could obtain such advantage from the ground as to 
cnrry the Soldada simultaneously with the Federacion. He accord- 
ingly pointed it out to the fifth and seventh regiments, with Blanch- 
ard's company, and accompanied them in that direction. Both 
attacks were eminently successful. Amidst a heavy fire of mus- 
ketry, the troops advanced with loud cheers, tlie different companies 
rushing simultaneously into the first fort, while the Mexicans number- 
intr nearly one thousand, escaped on the opposite side. The Soldada 
was carried so soon afterward, that many of those who participated 
in the first affair, took part also in the second. The American colors 
were immediately hoisted, and the guns of both places turned upon 
the Bishop's Palace. 

This brilliant assault reflects the highest credit upon General 
Smith who directed it, Captains Miles, McCall and C. F. Smith, 
Major Scott and Colonel P. F. Smith, by whom it was conducted, 
and, indeed, upon every individual concerned. Their loss was but 
nine wounded ; and a large quantity of military and other stores fell 
into their hands. 

While these operations were conducted on the west of the city, 
General Taylor with the main army, was busily engaged on the 
east. Soon after detaching May and Henderson, the mortar served 
by Captain Ramsay of the ordnance, with the howitzer battery under 
Captain Webster, had opened its fire upon the citadel, from whence 
it was deliberately answered. General Butler's division now took 
up a position in rear of this bntlery, and soon the discharges of artil- 
lery, mingleil with a mpiil firing of small arms, showed that liieutenant 
Garland's pominaiid had become warmly engaged. It being neces- 
sary to supprirt this attack. General Taylor ordered the fourth 
Infjintry and three regiments of Butler's division, to march in the 
direction of the advanced work in the lower extremity of the town, 
leaving the first Kentucky regiment to cover the mortar and howitzer 



116 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

battery. By some mistake, two companies of the fourth infantry 
did not receive this order, and consequently were not able to join 
their companions until some time afterward. 

While these companies were moving, Lieutenant Garland's com- 
mand had approached the town in a direction to the right of the 
advanced work, at the north-eastern angle of the city, and the 
engineer officer, covered by skirmishers, had succeeded in entering 
the suburbs and gaining cover. The remainder of the command now 
advanced and entered the town, under a heavy tire of artillery from 
the citadel and works on tlie left, aided by the musketry of the houses 
and small works in front. A movement to the right was attempted, 
with a view to gain the rear of the advanced work; but the troops 
were so much exposed to a fire which they could not effectually 
return, and had already sustained such severe loss, particularly in 
officers, that it was deemed best to withdraw them to a more secure 
position. Captain Backus, however, of the first infantry, with por- 
tions of his own and other companies, had gained the roof of a 
tannery which looked directly into the gorge of the redoubt, upon 
which and the strong building in its rear, he poured a most destruc- 
tive fire. By coinciding in point of time with the advance of a body 
of volunteers upon that work, this fire contributed essentially to its 
faU. 

Meanwhile the three volunteer regiments under General Butler, 
had been advancing to an assault. The leading brigade under 
Brigadier- General Quitman, preceded by three companies of the 
fourth infantry, continued its advance upon the redoubt, while Buder 
with the first Ohio regiment entered the town on the right. The 
latter companies had advanced within short range of the work, when 
a sudden discharge, from the enemy's guns, struck down nearly one- 
third of tlie officers and men, and rendered it necessary to fall back 
upon the two advancing columns. Unappalled by die catastrophe of 
their comrades, as well as by their own severe loss, Quitman's brigade 
continued to advance, and carried the work togodicr with the strong 
building in its rear. Three officers, twenty-seven privates, five 
pieces of artillery and a supply of amnuuiition, was tlie reward of 
the conquerors. 

BuUer, in the meantime, had entered ihe town with the first Ohio 



sroinii.Nc; of moxterev. ii7 

rejjiment ; but he here received an order from Genenil Taylor to 
return, in consequence of not being able to accomplish any thinjr in 
front ; but upon the reception of intelligence that the Mexican redoubt 
had surrendered, this order was almost immediately countermanded. 
Butler then entered ihc town at a point further to the left, and marched 
in the direction of tlie enemy's second battery ; but while making an 
examination in order to ascertain the possibility of carrying this work, 
he was wounded, and soon after left the field. On account of this 
accident, together with the known force of the enemy, it was tiiought 
advisable to withdraw the troops. 

Portions of the various regiments engaged, were now under cover 
of the captured battery and some buildings on its front and right. 
The field-battery of Captains Bragg and Ridgely, was also partially 
covered by the battery. The enemy now poured an incessant fire 
from their second battery, and the works on its right, and from the 
citadel at every approach of the Americans. General Taylor was 
now joined by General Twiggs, who, though quite unwell, continued 
in active duty, and was instrumental in causing the artillery captured 
from the enemy, to be placed in battery, and served by Captain 
Ridgely, until the arrival of Captain Webster's howitzer battery, 
which took its place. Meanwhile a company collected from the Bal- 
timore battalion, and the first, third and fourth regiments were ordered 
to enter the town, penetrate to the right, and carry the second battery 
if possible. This command, under Lieutenant-Colonel Garland, 
advanced beyond a bridge called Purisima, and sustained themselves 
for some time in that advanced position.* But as they were unable 

• The followinjT thrilling extracts from the letter of an oflicer in the Baltimore 
battalion, show the danger which that brave detachment underwent in this 
assault. 

" I saw Colonel XA'atson shouting ; but as to hearing a command that was an 
impossibility, owing to the deafening roar of the cannon and musketry. I reached 
my company just as the colonel was dismounting from his horse, which the next 
moment fell from a shot. He cried out to the men ' Shelter yourselves men, 
the l^est way yon can.' At this moment the battalion was scattered over a 
space of about an acre, and the men were lying down, the shot inmost instances 
flying over our heads; but the guns were soon depressed, and the shot began to 
take effect. 

"I was lying close to Colonel Watson alongside of a hedge, when he jumped 
up and cried out, ' now's the time boys, follow me.' I was up and after him 
in a second, my men following me. We were now in a street or lane, with a 
few houses on either side, and within a hundred yards of three batteries which 



118 LlFi; OF Gb:\KRAL TAYLOR. 

to gain the rear of the battery, or to make a permanent impression 
where tliey were, they were willidrawn with a section of Captain 
Ridgely's battery which had joined them, to the first battery. 

During the progress of this cannonade a party of 3Iexican cavalry 
were observed in the direction of the citadel, moving toward the 
American lines. Captain Bragg immediately galloped with his 
battery, to a suitable position, from which a few discharges effectu- 
ally dispersed them. Captain Millar of the first infantry, was des- 
patched with a mixed command, to support the battery on this service. 
The enemy's lancers had previously charged upon the Ohio and a 
part of the Mississippi regiments near some fields, at a distance from 
the edge of the town, but had been repulsed with considerable loss ; 
and some cavalry on the opposite side of the river, was also dispersed 
by Captain Ridgely's battery and returned to the city. 

At the approach of evening, all the troops that had been engaged 
were ordered back to the camp, except Captain Ridgely's battery and 

completely raked it, in addition to which two twelve pound guns were planted in 
the Castle on the right, and completely enfiladed the distance we had to make. 
Add to this the thousand musketeers on the house-tops, and the barricades at 
the head of the street up which we advanced, and at cven,^ cross street, and 
you may form some idea of the deluge of balls poured upon us. Onward we 
went, men and horses falling at every step. Cheers, shrieks, groans and words 
of command, added to the din, whilst the roar of the guns was absolutely 
deafening. 

" We had advanced up the street under this awful fire nearly two hundred 
yards, when we reached a cross street, at the corner of which all who had suc- 
ceeded in getting thus far alive, halted, as if by mutual consent. I was shaking 
Colonel Watson by the hand whilst he was complimenting me, when a shower 
of grape, round and canister shot came from the corner above, and five otficers 
fell, and I know not how many privates. Each man sought some place of 
apparent shelter. I sat down on the ground with my hack to the wall of a 
house. On my left were two men torn nearly to pieces. One of them was lying 
flat on his back, with his legs extending farther into the street than mine. 
Crash came anolhershower of grape, which tore one of his wounded legs nearly 
off. He reared up. shrieked, and fell back a corpse. I never moved, for I was 
satisfied that one place was as safe as another. *♦***» Above, below, along- 
side, between legs and arms everywiierc the balls whistled and howled. The 
air seemed cut to pieces by the quantity that tlie artillery- hurled at us, and it 
would be childish to tell you /kiw c/oxe they came to me, and what and how 
many escapes I had. I was exposed to shot in that fight for nine hours." 

The same letter speaks thus of Colonel Watson, who was killed during this 
cannonade by a shot in the neck : — 

" He met with a gallant soldier's death — his face to the foe. His loss is 
deplored by all who knew his generosity of heart, and chivalry of character : to 
me individually it is great, but to the battalion it is irreparable." 



STORMING OF MONTEREY. 119 

the regular infantry of the first division, who, during the night, were 
detailed under Lieutenant Garland, as a guard for the works. One 
battalion of the first Kentucky regiment was ordered to reinforce this 
command. Intrenching tools were procured, and during the night 
additional strength was given to the works and protection to the 
men, by parties under the direction of Lieutenant Scarritt, of the 
engineers. 

Thus the first day's assault had given to the Americans two im- 
portant redoubts without the city, and a well fortified work within. 
But these advantages were purchased at the expense of some of their 
most valuable ofiicers ;* and their total loss, as slated by General 
Taylor in his official despatch, was not less than 394 in killed and 
wounded. 

The troops under General Worth lay on their arms all night, and 
at three o'clock next morning were aroused for an attack upon the 
Bishop's Palace. The storming party consisted of two companies 
of the fourth artillery battalion and one of the third ; three companies 
of eiglith infantry, including two hundred Texan riflemen, under 
Colonel Hays and Lieutenant-Colonel Walker: the whole was 
superintended by Lieutenant-Colonel Childs, and conducted to the 
points of ascent by Captain Sanders and LieutenaiU Meade. Being 
f-ivoured by the weather, they had reached by the dawn of day, 
within about one hundred yards of the crest, at which position a body 
of the enemy had been stationed on the previous evening, in order 
to gall the assailants from the clefts of the rocks. Their retreating 
fire was not returned, until Colonels Childs' and Hays' commands 
had reached to within a few yards of the summit, when a well direct- 
ed volley, followed by the bayonet of the regulars, and the rush of 
the Texans, placed the Americans in possession of the work. The 
cannon having been previously withdrawn, no impression could be 
made upon the massive walls of the Palace, or its outworks, without 

♦ Captain Williams, topographical engineers ; Lieut<»nants Torrctt and 
Dilworth, first infantrj* ; Lieutenant Woods, second infantry- ; Captains Morris 
and Field, Brevet Major Barbour, Lieutenants Irwin and Ilazlett, third infantry; 
Lieutenant Hoskins, fourth infantrj- ; Lieutenant Colonel Watson. Baltimore 
battalion ; Captain Allen and Lieutenant Putnam, Tennessee reciment, and 
Lieutenant Hett, Ohio regiment, were killed, together with Captain McKavettof 
the eighth infantrj', the only olTiccr who fell in General Worth's division. 



120 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

artillery. Lieutenant Rowland of Duncan's battery was now ordered 
from the main road with a twelve pound howitzer, and in two hours 
mounted his guns, although he had been obliged to dimb a steep and 
nigged acclivity more than seven hundred feet high, his soldiers carry- 
ing their piece by main strength. Covered by the epaulment of 
the captured battery, this howitzer now opened upon the Palace and 
its outwork, at the distance of four hundred yards, and soon produced 
a visible effect. To reinforce the position thus acquired, the fifth 
infantry and Major Scott and Blanchard's volunteers had passed from 
the first heights, and reached the second in lime to participate in the 
operations against the Palace. 

The remainder of these operations, together with its capture, we 
give in General Worth's own language, as contained in his official 
report to General Taylor : 

" After many affairs of light troops and several feints, a heavy 
sortie was made, sustained by a strong corps of cavalry, with des- 
perate resolution, to repossess the heights. Such a move had been 
anticipated and prepared for. Lieutenant-Colonel Childs had ad- 
vanced, under cover, two companies of light troops, under command 
of Captain Vinton, acting major, and judiciously drawn up, the 
main body of his command flanked on the right by Hays, and on 
the left by Walker's Texans. The enemy advanced boldly, was_ 
repulsed by one general discharge from all arms, fled in confusion, 
closely pressed by Childs and Hays, preceded by the light troops 
under Vinton : and while they fled past our troops, entered the palace 
and fort. In a few moments the unpretending flag of our union, 
had replaced the gaudy standard of Mexico. The captured guns^ 
one six-inch howitzer, one twelve and two nine pounder brass guns, 
together with Duncan's and McCall's field-batteries, which came 
up at a gallop, were in fidl and cflective play upon the retiring and 
confused masses that filled the street (of which we had the pro- 
longation) leading to the nearest plaza, La Capella, also crowded with 
troops. At this moment the enemy's loss was heavy. 'J'he invest- 
ment was now complete except the forces necessary to hold the 
positions on Independencia and serve tlie guns, (shifted to points 
where the shot could be made to reach the great plaza,) the division 
was now concentrated around the palace, and preparation made to 



STORMING OF MONTEREY. 121 

assault the city, on tlic rollowiiifi day nr sooner, shoiiUl the General- 
in-chicf cither so iHreel, or before conuniniicalion be had, renew 
the assanh iVoni tlic opposite quarter. In the mean time attention 
was directed to every provision our circumstances permitted, to 
alleviate the condition of our wounded soldiers and officers, and to 
the decent interment of the dead, not omitting in either respect all 
that was due to those of the enemy." 

In this assault the Americans lost bttt seven killed and twelve 
wounded; the loss of the enemy was not precisely ascertained, but 
is known to have been very heavy. 

During the whole of this day there were but few active opera- 
tions at the lower part of the city. The citadel and other works 
continued to fire at the American companies exposed to their range, 
and at the redoubt occupied by their troops. The guard left in it, 
the preceding night, except Captain Ridgely's company, were 
relieved at mid-day by General Quitman's brigade. Captain Bragg's 
battery was thrown under cover in front of the town, to repel any 
demonstration of cavalry in that quarter. 

During the night the enemy evacuated nearly all their defences in 
the lower part of the city. Early in the morning this was reported 
by General Quitman, who, having already meditated an assault 
upon those works, now received instructions, leaving it discretionary 
with him to enter the city, but requested him, in case of doing so 
to proceed very carefully, covering his men by the houses and walls, 
and advancing only so far as he might deem safe or prudent. Ac- 
cordingly a portion of the brigade entered the town, and forced their 
way successfully to the principal plaza. General Taylor then 
ordered the remainder of the troops, under Brigadier-General Twiggs, 
to act as a reserve, and soon after repaired to the aliandoned works. 
The second regiment of Texas mounted volunteers was also 
ordered up, who entered the city, dismounted, and under the imme- 
diate orders of General Henderson, co-operated with Quitman's 
brigade. They were assisted by Captain Bragg's battery, supported 
by the tliird infantry, who succeeded in battering down a portion of 
the cathedral. The troops advanced from house to house, and from 
square to square, until they reached a street but one square in rear 
of the principal plaza, in and near which the enemy's force was 
16 



122 LIFP: of general TAYLOR. 

mainly concentrated. Though vigorous, the advance was conducted 
with due caution, so that notwithstanding the continual fire of the 
enemy, who sufiered heavily, the assailants lost but few. In the 
mean time Captain Ridgely had served against the city a piece cap- 
tured in the first battery, until the advance of the soldiers rendered 
it imprudent to fire in the direction of the cathedral. 

Thus the Mexicans had retired from the lower portion of the 
city, in order to concentrate their forces for a final effort behind tlieir 
barricades ; and it was apparent that the army could now operate 
successfully against them. As Quitman's brigade had been on duty 
all the previous night, and were much exhausted. General Taylor 
determined to withdraw them to the evacuated works, and concert 
with General Worth a combined attack upon the town. Accord- 
ingly the troops were relieved after nightfall by the brigade of Gen- 
eral Hamer, and deliberately, and in good order, resumed their 
original position. 

On returning to camp General Taylor received intelligence by an 
officer, that Genpral Worth, induced by the firing in the lower part 
of the city, was about making an attack at the upper extremity, 
which had been evacuated by the enemy to a considerable distance. 
Although this would have afforded a fine opportunity for co-operation, 
yet tlie commander did not think it expedient to change his orders, 
and accordingly retired to camp. 

The 23d had been a season of activity to the division under 
General Worth. About ten o'clock, a. m., a firing was heard in 
the opposite quarter, whose heaviness and continuance, as well 
as other circumstances, induced a belief that the commander-in- 
chief was conducting a main attack, and that his orders for co-ope- 
ration having to travel a circuit of six miles, had eitlier been mis- 
carried or intercepted by some of the numerous cavalry parties of 
the enemy. Under these convictions ilic troops were instantly 
ordered to commence an operation, which if not otherwise directed 
General Worth had designed to execute under favor of the night. 
Two columns of attack were organized, to move along the two prin- 
cipal streets which run in the direction of the great plaza. The 
advance was composed of light troops slighUy extended, whose 
duties were arduous and dangerous. They were ordered to mask 



STORMING OF MONTKREY. 1'23 

the men whenever practicable, avoiding the points swept by the 
enemy's artillery, and pressing on to the first plaza, (capella,) obtain 
the ends of the streets beyond them, enter the bnildings, and by 
means of picks and bars break throngh the longitudinal section of 
the walls, work from house to house, and ascending the roofs, to place 
themselves on the same, breast height with the enemy. Light artil- 
lery by sections and pieces, under Duncan, Rowland, McCall, Mar- 
tin, Hays, Irons, Clarke, and Curd, followed at suitable intervals, 
covered by reserves to guard the pieces, together with the whole 
operation, against the probable enterprises of cavalry upon our left. 
This was effectually done by seizing and commanding the head of 
every cross street. 

At numerous well chosen points, the enemy had barricaded the 
streets by heavy masonry walls, each containing embrasures for one 
or more guns, and the whole well supported by cross batteries. 
These arrangements made it necessary for the Americans to act with 
much precaution, and gave a complicated character to their opera- 
tions ; but notwithstanding the difficulties in dieir way, they worked 
steadily, simultaneously, and successfully. 

Meanwhile the firing on the opposite side of die city had ceased, 
and the enemy were enabled to transfer their men and guns from that 
position, and employ them against General Worth. The troops, 
however, still continued to advance, and at dark reached within one 
block of the principal plaza, having worked through walls and squares, 
left a covered way in their rear, and carried a large building which 
towered over the principal defences, and on the roof of which two 
howitzers and a six pounder were placed during the niglit and en- 
suing morning. 

The services of Major Monroe in this affair are dius described 
by General Worth : 

"As the columns of attack were moving from the Palace Hill, 
Major Monroe, chief of artillery, reached me with a ten inch mortar, 
which was immediately advanced to the plaza chapel, put in posi- 
tion, masked by the church wall, its bed adjusted as rapidly as pos- 
sible, and by sunset opened upon the great square. At this period 
our troops had worked to within one sq\iare of die plaza. The exact 
position of our comrades or. the opposite side was not known, and 



124 LIFE OF GENEKAL TAYLOK. 

the distance of the position to be assailed by the bomb battery ; but 
conjecturing, eight hundred yards was assumed, and the fuze and 
charge regulated accordingly. The first shell fell a little short of 
the point on which it was directed, and beside our troops ; a slight 
increase of the projecting charge gave exact results. The whole 
service was managed by Major Monroe most admirably, and, com- 
bined with other operations, exercised a decided influence upon the 
final results. Early on the morning of the 23d, Major Brown's ar- 
tillery battalion was despatched with a select command, and one 
section of McCall's battery, under Lieutenant Irons, to occupy the 
stone mill and adjacent grounds, constituting one league in advance, 
the narrow gorge near St. Catarina. 'J'he major took possession, re- 
pulsed the enemy's pickets, and was preparing his command to resist 
any attack, when he received my orders to retrace his steps, enter 
the city, and form the main reserve to the assaulting columns. He 
came up in good time and in good order, and was at once under fire." 

Early on the morning of the 24th, Colonel Morena arrived at the 
camp of General Taylor, bearing the following communication from 
General Ampudia : 

[translation.] 
D. Pedro Ampudia, General-in-Chief, tu Major-Gcncral Taylor. 

Hkad-Quahtkus at MoNTF.nET, 
Sept. 23d, 1846, 9 o'clock, P. M. 

Senor General : Having made the defence of which I believe 
this city is susceptible, I have fulfilled my duty, and have satisfied 
the military honor, which in a certain manner, is (■(uiunon to all 
armies of the civilized world. 

To prosecute tlie defence therefore, would only result in distress 
to tlie population, who have already suffered enough from the mis- 
fortunes consequent on war ; and taking it for granted that the Ame- 
rican government has manifested a disposition to negotiate, I propose 
to you to evacuate the city and its fort, taking with me the personclle 
and materiellc which have remained, and under the assurance that 
no harm shall ensue to tlic inhabitants who have taken a part in the 
defence. 

Be pleased to accept the assurance of my distinguished con- 
sideration. Pedro de Ampudia 
To Senou Don- Z. Tatloh. 

Commander-in-Chief of the American Army. 



STORMING OF MOXTKREY. 125 

General Taylor rcplioil as follows: 

Heap-Qi: autkiis Aiimy ok Oi cipatio^, 
Camp before Monterey, Sept. 24, 1816, 7 o'clock, A. M. 

Sir: Ynur coiiimuiiication bearing date at nine o'clock, P M. 
on llic 23(1 instant, has just been rtHUMvcii hy ll e hands of Colonel 
.Mi> ciia. 

In answer to your proposition to evacuate the city and fort, wi:h 
all the pcrsoncl and materiel of war, I have to st:ite that my duty 
compels me to decline acceding to it. A complete surrender of the 
town and garrison, the latter as prisoners of war, is now demanded. 
But such surrender will be upon terms — and the gallant defence of 
the place, creditable alike to the Mexican troops and nation, will 
prompt me to make those terms as liberal as possible. The garrison 
will be allowed at your option, after laying down its arms, to retire 
to the interior, on condition of not serving again during the war, or 
until regidarly exchanged I need hardly say that the rights of non- 
combatants will be respected. 

An answer to this communication is required by 12 o'clock. If 
you assent to an accommodation, an officer will be despatched at 
once, under instructions to arrange the conditions. 

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

Z. Taylor, 
Maj. Gen. U. S. A., Commanding. 

Szson D. PF.nno de Ampudia, 
General-in-Chief, Monterey. 

A cessation of hostilities now took place, and in the meanwhile, 
at the request of General Ampudia, the two commanders had a per- 
sonal interview,* which resulted in the capitulation of the city on 
the following terms : 

• This intcr\iew is thus humorously described by an eye witness : 
" .\mpudia was all courtesy and fine words, big speeches, great volubility, 
with an abundance of gesticulations, shrugs, nods, alternate smiles and frowns, 
and that whole catalogue of silent language with which persons of French origin 
(as is Ampudia^ are wont to help the oxj)rcssion of their ideas. 

" General Taylor, on the other hand, was as dry as a chip, as plain as a pipe 
stem, and as short as pie crust. Dressed in his best coat (which by the by looks 
as if it had served some half a dozen campainns,) with his glazed oil-cloth cap, 
strapless pants, and old-fashioned wiiitc vest, he looked more like an old farmer 
lately elected militia colonel, who had put on his everyday suit with the slight- 
est imaginable sign of military foppery, to distinguish him from a crowd of mere 



126 LIFE OF UEXERAL TAYLOR. 

Terms of Capitulation of the city of Monterey, the capital of ZS'uevo Leon, agreed 
upon by the undtTsiErued Commissioners, to wit: General Worth, of the 
United States army,(iciieral Henderson, of the Texan volunteers, and Colonel 
Davis, of the .Mississippi riflemen, on the part of Mujor-General Taylor, com- 
mander-in-chief of the United States forces ; and (Jcneral Haquena and 
General Ortega, of the army of Mexico, and Senor Manuel M. Llano, gover- 
nor of Nuevo Leon, on the part of Senor General Don Pedro de Ampudia, 
commanding-iri-chief the army of the north of Mexico. 

Art. 1. As the legitimate result of the operations before this place, 
and the present position of the contending armies, it is agreed that the 
city, the fortifications, cannon, the munitions of war, and all other pub- 
lic property, with the undermentioned exceptions, be surrendered to the 
commanding general of the United States forces, now at Monterey. 

Art. 2. That the Mexican forces be allowed to retain the follow- 
ing arms, to wit : the commissioned officers their side arms, the 
infantry tlieir arms and accoutrements, the cavalry their arms and 
accoutrements, the artillery one field battery, not to exceed six pieces, 
with twenty-one rounds of ammunition. 

Art. 3. That the Mexican armed forces retire within seven days 
from this date, beyond the line formed by the pass of the Rinconada, 
the city of Linares, and San Fernando de Presas. 

Art. 4. That the citadel of Monterey be evacuated by the Mexi- 

civilians. In his reply to Ampudia's long harangues, he used such direct, blunt, 
and emphatic language, that the valorous Mexican was thrown all aback and 
' had nothing to say.' " 

" Ampudia opened the interview by stating that his forces were too large to be 
conqviered by General Taylor's arii-.y — that he had an abundance of ammuni- 
tion, 7000 infantry and 3000 cavalry, with 40 cannon, and the best artillerists 
in the world — that his loss was very small, and he felt confident he could defend 
the city against a much stronger force than that under General Taylor's com- 
mand ; but that from motives of humanity — to spare the clTusion of blood — to 
save the lives of helpless women and children, he was willing so far to compro- 
mise the glory of the great Mexican nation, as to surrender the city, providcil he 
was allowed to retire with his whole force, and carry the public property with 
him, and all the arms and munitions of war. When he had finished his mag- 
nificent oration, which in the style of his celebrated proclamation, was garnished 
with numerous allusions to the stupendous power, and unfading glory and 
renown of magnanimous Mexico, old Zachary quietly stuck his hands deep into 
his pockets, cocked his head a little on one side, and gently raising his grizzly 
eyebrows, that the bold little black eye lurking beneath might have full play 
upon the grandiloquent Mexican, replied in these few, but expressive words : — 

"'General Ampudia, we come here to take Monterey, and we are going to 
do it on such terms as please us. I wish you good morning.' And the old 
general hobbled otT on his two short little legs, leaving the Mexican general and 
staff in the profoundest bewilderment." 



STORMING OF MONTKKKY. 127 

can, ami occupied l)y the AiiKM-ii'iiii forces, iD-monow morning, at 
ten o'clock. 

Art. 5. To avoid collisions, and for mutual convenience, that the 
troops of the United States will not occupy the city until the Mexi- 
can forces have withdrawn, except for hospital and storage purposes. 
Art. 6. That the forces of the United States will not advance 
beyond the line specified in the 2d [3d] article before the expiration 
of eight weeks, or until the orders or instructions of the respective 
governments can be received. 

Art. 7. 'I'liat the public property to be delivered slr.iU be turned 
over and received by officers appointed by the commanding generals 
of the two armies. 

Art. 8. That all doubts as to the meaning of any of the preceding 
articles shall be solved by an equitable construction, and on princi- 
ples of liberality to llie retiring army. 

Art. 9. That tiic Mexican fljig, when struck at the citadel, may be 
saluted by its own battery. 

Done at Monterey, Sept. 24, 1846. 

W. J. Worth, 

Brigadier-General U. S. A. 
J. PiXKNEY HeXDKRSON, 

Maj. Gen. Conidg. the Texan VoL 
Jefferson Davis, 

Col. Mississippi Riflemen. 
Manuel M. Llano, 
T. Requexa, 
Ortega. 
(Approved :) Pedro Ampudia. 

Z. Taylor, 
Maj. Gen. U. S. A. Comdg. 
The strength of the city and other imj)orlant items is thus laid 
down by General Taylor in his official despatch : 

" Upon occupying the city it was discovered to be of great strength 
in itself, and to have its approaches carefully and strongly fortified. 
The town and works were armed with forty-two pieces of cannon, 
well supplied with ammunition, and manned with a force of at least 
7000 troops of the line, and from 2000 to .'^000 irregulars. The 
force under my orders before Monterey was 425 officers, and 6220 



128 LIFE OF GEXERAL TAYLOR. 

men. Our artillery consisted of one ten-inch mortar, two twenty- 
four pound howitzers, and four light field batteries of four guns — the 
mortar being the only piece suitable to the operations of a siege. 

" Our loss is twelve* officers, and one hundred and eight men 
killed ; thirty-onet officers, and three hundred and thirty-seven men 
wounded. That of the enemy is not known ; but is believed con- 
siderably to exceed our own." 

The conduct of General Worlli is thus noticed by diose who 
shared the dangers of the 22d with him. 

" General Worth has distinguished himself as a gallant soldier and 
a skilful commander. General Taylor gave him a fair chance, and 
he has nobly availed himself of it. His division, witli Hays's regi- 
ment of Texans, have gained more ground, and carried more points, 
than all the rest of the army, and with very little loss. It will be 
remembered that he made a circuit to the west and rear of the city, 
and then stormed several strong positions, and penetrated into the 
heart of the city, which is nothing but one fortification, the thick 
walls being pierced for muskets, and cannon being placed so as to 
rake the principal streets. The roofs being flat, and the front walls 
rising three or four feet above the roof, of course every street has a 
line of breastworks on each side. It was amid such scenes that 
the gallant Worth led his division to victory." " I was expecting 
to see him rushing his men into unnecessary danger, in order to win 
for them and hiuiself great military fame ; but his conduct has been 
very difierent from this. His great study has been to gain the 

• Capt. Williams, topographical oni^inccrs ; Lieut. Forrott, first infantry, 
Capt. L. N. Morris, thiril ilo. ; Cajjt. Fii'lil, third do ; .Major Barbour, tliird do. ; 
Lieut. Corwin, third do.; I^iout. Hazlitt, third do.; Lieut, Hoskins, tliird do.; 
Lieut. Woods, fourth do. ; Capt. McKavett, 8th do. ; Col. Watson, Ualtiuiore 
battalion; Capt. Battleni, first Tennessee regiment; Lieut. Putnam, first 
Tennessee do. 

■\ A licut. ui a Georgia company ; Major I>ear, third infantry, severely . 
Capt. Bainbridgo, tliird do., very slichtly ; 1/ieut. R. IL Graham, fourth do; 
Capt. Lamotte, first do., slightly ; Licut. Dilworth, first do., severely ; Lieut. 
Abercromhic, first do., slightly; Lieut. Rus^sell, fiftii do., slightly; Licut. I'ottcr, 
seventh do., slightly ; Gen. Butler, volunteer division, slightly ; Col. MiU-hcll, 
Ohio volunteers, slightly; Col. McClung, Mississippi, severely; .Major .\lcx- 
andcr, Tennessee volunteers, do.; Licut. Allen, do. do. ; Licut. Scuddcr, do. do. ; 
Lieut. Nixon, do. do.; Capt. Dowler, Morris regiment; Licut. .Vrmstrong, 
Ohio regiment, severely ; Capt. Gillespie, Texas Kangers, mortally wounded, 
since dead. 



STORMING OF MONTKREY. 129 

commnndin? points with the least possible sacritlce of life. At first 
It seemed tot;i]ly impossible to storm these lieiglits, but it has been 
done." 

Genenil Taylor also notices him in the follo\v'in<T terms. " To 
the general oflicers commanding divisions, Major-Generals Butler 
and Henderson, and Brigadier-Generals Twiggs and Worth, I must 
express my obligations for the efficient aid which they have rendered 
in their respective commands. Brigadier-General Worth was in- 
trusted with an important detachment, which rendered his operations 
independent of my own. These operations were conducted with 
ahiUty, and crowned with complete success." The despatch is 
full of compliments to the officers and soldiers who participated in 
llie attack. 

Concerning the terms offered to the garrison, the General thus 
writes : 

" It will be seen that the terms granted the Mexican garrison are 
less rigorous than those first imposed. The gallant defence of the 
town, and the fact of a recent change of government in Mexico, be- 
lieved to be favorable to the interests of peace, induced me to concur 
with the commission in these terms, which will, I trust, receive the 
approval of tlie government. The latter consideration also prompted 
the convention for a temporary cessation of hostilities. Though 
scarcely warranted by my insti-uctions, yet the change of affairs since 
those instructions were issued, seemed to warrant this course. I 
beg to be advised as early as practicable whether I have met the 
views of the government in these particulars." 

The news of the capture of Monterey electrified the wiiole country, 
and the valiant army of the Rio Grande received thanks and con- 
gratulations from every quarter. That any army should capture a 
town so defended, and whose garrison were double their number, 
does indeed deserve the highest rewards of a grateful nation. 

General Taylor now established his head-quarters at Monterey, 
while General Worth was sent with twelve hiuidred men and eight 
field pieces to Saltillo. Possession was taken of this place without 
opposition. 

Tlie following is the official despatch of tlie Mexican general 
regarding the capture of Monterey. It appears that after the capitu- 
17 



130 LIFE OF OEXFRAL TAYLOR. 




A m pud i a . 

lation, he retired to Sahillo with a view to fortify that place, bat not 
receiving the co-operation of the inhabitants, he subsequently retired 
toward the capital. 

Official despatch of General Ampudia to the Mexican Secretary of War, 
announcing the surrender of Monterey. 

Most Excellent Sir: — After a brilliant defence, in the course 
of which the enemy was repulsed with the loss of fifteen hundred, 
men from various posts, he succeeded in possessing himself of the 
heights commanding the Bishop's Palace, and another to the south 
of it, and likewise a detached breastwork called the Tenesia, and 
continuing his attacks through the houses, which he pierced in a 
direction towards the centre of the city, he succeeded in posting him- 
self within half gun shot of the principal square where the troops 
were posted, who suffered much from the hollow shot. 

Under these circumstances I was requested by various principal 
ofRcers, to come to such terms as would diminish our losses ; for to 
open our way witli the bayonet, surrounded as we were by in- 
trenched enemies, would have resulted in the dispersal of the troops, 
and nothing of the materiel would have been saved. These con- 



STORMING OF MONTERHY. 131 

sideralions haviiijr been wciglied In' me, I also took into view 
what the city sulVcred, and would suffer from the attacks, by the 
piercing of the houses, as well as the destruction by the bombs ; 
the scarcity of ammunition which was beginning to be felt ; the pro- 
visions which we were losing as the enemy's lines approached the 
centre ; the distance from our supplies ; and finally, that to protract 
this state of things for two or three days, even if it were possible to 
do so, could not end in a triumph, and I consented to open proposi- 
tions which resulted in the annexed terms of capitulation.* 

Your excellency will perceive that they preserve the honor of the 
nation, and that of the army ; and it is to be observed that, if they do 
not grant us as much as was perhaps expected, that of itself proves 
the superiority of the enemy, not in valor, which he displayed in most 
of the combats, but in his position within the squares of pierced 
masonry which surrounded the square, and cut off any supplies of 
j)rovisions, wood, or other articles necessary to subsistence. 

With the greatest regret the army withdraws from their capital, 
abundantly watered with its blood, leaving under the guarantee of the 
promises of the American generals the severely wounded and the 
neighboring population of the state, whose civil authorities will con- 
tinue in the exercise of their functions. To-morrow I shall continue 
my march to Saltillo, where I will await the orders of the supreme 
government ; and in communicating this to you, I have the honor to 
reiterate the assurances of my highest respect. 

God and liberty ! 

Pedro De Ampudia. 

Head-Quarters in Monterey, Sept. 25, 1846. 

Compared witli General Taylor's report and with Ampudia's 
previous proclamation, this document is curious, as it exhibits not 
only the characteristic differences in the style of language of the 
r\vo generals, but also that the opinion previously entertained of the 
American commander, had undergone some modification. 

Upon the reception of tlie above report, tlie President issued the 
following 

• Omitted ; being previously given in General Taylor's report. 



132 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

PROCLAMATION, 

Of General Salas, the acting President, to the people of Mexico, announcing 
the loss of Monterey. 

Mexicans ! A government established against ilie will of the nation 
is interested in -concealing from it events which are disastrous to 
it ; above all when the responsibility of their occurrences must fall 
upon the government. A government M'hose sentiments and inter- 
ests are no other than those of the nation, and which has emanated 
from the movement by which it threw off its oppressors, has no 
need to conceal any thing from it, for the nation itself must combat 
for its preservation and for its honor. 

Mexicans ! Monterey has fallen. It was not enough to defy 
death as our valiant fellow countrymen did for four days ; it was 
necessary to do more — to defy want in every shape, and the inef- 
ficiency of means of resistance. The intention of the enemy, to 
occupy the whole republic is manifest ; but the government is deter- 
mined to triumph or perish with the republic. Partial disasters 
are of no importance ; the Spanish nation suffered much more in 
the space of six years, and the results of her heroic efforts, and the 
co-operation of all her sons, was that the bones of half a million of 
unjust invaders whiten the fields of the peninsula. Shall we 
become unworthy of independence by not showing ourselves soqs 
worthy of our fathers ? That independence was achieved by us 
alone, only after ten years of constancy ; and it is not possible that 
an organized nation should show less strength than its oppressed 
sons, such as our first leaders were. 

Mexicans ! The time to act has come. Will you suffer your 
population to be decimated, sending it to perish by handfuls on the 
frontier, one to-day, another to-morrow, and to perish less by the 
enemy's balls than by neglect ? The government will exert all its 
power in the defence of rights ; but it has a right to expect that 
indifference or inactive contemplation shall not be the recompense 
of its plan of operation ; for the nation would prefer that not one 
stone should be left on another, rather than behold its sovereignty, 
its rights, and its temples trampled under foot. The invincible 
general called by it to place himself at the head of the troops, is 
resolved not to survive the dishonors of his country. 



I 



STORMING OF MONTEREY. 133 

Will it be less so ? No. Our Mood and our property will be 
tlie sacrifice that we offer up ; and when you are in the full enjoy- 
ment of the rights which you claimed, I do not doubt of your co- 
operation, and with it we sliall snatch from fortune, that wliich in 
the end will ensure to us existence and honor. 

Jose Mariano de Salas. 

Mexico, Sept. 30, 1846. 

For some time after General Taylor had established his head- 
quarters at Monterey, he was obliged to remain perfectly passive, 
being in want of all the necessary appendages of an army, and sur- 
rounded by difficulties. The Mexicans had evacuated all the 
country north and east of San Luis Potosi, leaving beliind them 
about forty dragoons to de&troy fortifications which had been con- 
structed at Los Muertos, a naturally strong and difficult pass on the 
road to Saltillo, and about five or six miles beyond the Rinconada. 
They also dismantled Saltillo, destroying whatever might be of use 
to tlie American army, and which they could not carry away. 
" Thus there was nothing left for General Taylor to conquer, but 
a barren region of rugged mountains and thirsty plains, affording 
neither water nor provisions for the subsistence of man or beast, 
over a distance of two or three hundred miles, to San Luis Potosi. 
If, as has been said, General Taylor has orders to march upon San 
Luis Potosi, so as to reach that city by die end of November, the 
question arises, how he is to traverse such a country, as he will 
have to do by a forced march at the rate of fifteen or twenty miles 
a-day." 

" The only water in this route is in the Mexican tanks, which 
will doubtless all be broken up as the enemy retires. To carry 
water sufficient to save liis army and teams from suffermg, would 
probably require more horses, mules, and oxen, than are now in 
the army, all of which are required for the transportation of the 
necessary stores and munitions. In making lliis retreat the enemy 
have doubtless adopted a wise policy, leaving behind them a far 
more formidable enemy for General Taylor to encounter, (viz : this 
march,) than he could ever find in their own arms and fortified 
town^." 

This policy has doubdess been dictated by the sagacity of Santa 



134 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

Anna. It is stated on good authority, that he had sent orders to 
Ampudia, to evacuate Monterey and all other places this side of 
the mountains ; but that those orders were not received till after 
the battle.* 

"While affairs were in this condition, considerable misunder- 
standing took place between the volunteers of the army and the 
Mexican citizens. The " terms of capitulation" appear to have 
been unpopular with the majority of the army, and this with other 
causes, led the more independent portion to treat the Mexican resi- 
dents with an insolence approaching to tyranny. On the other 
hand the citizens, exasperated by the loss of their city, and looking 
upon their enemies as barbarous invaders, watched every covert 
opportunity to retaliate. These feelings increased to such an extent 
that it became no uncommon thing to find in the morning, several 
bodies of those who had been murdered during the previous night. 
The subjoined correspondence will show the dispositions enter- 
tained by the authorities of the respective parties concerning these 
outrages. 

Under the date of September 29th, Governor Morales thus writes 
to General Taylor, 

" Multitudes of complaints have been made to this government, 
against excesses committed upon persons and property of Mexicans 
daily, by the volunteers, in the service of the United States, and I am 
this moment informed, that three of our citizens have been killed by 
them, without pity, or any reasonable motive, only because they 
possess the power to do so. Under such circumstances it is impos- 
sible that society can remain in much security, as the most essential 
guaranties are wanting. I have the honor of making this known to 
your excellency, hoping that measures will be adopted to put an end 
to such atrocities in future, and to carry into effect the assurances 
given of protection to the people. 

" Repeating my esteem and consideration for your excellency, 1 
am, &c. &c." 

On the 1st of October, General Taylor replied as follows : — 

"The communication of your excellency dated 29th ult., relative 
to excesses committed by volunteers in Monterey, was duly received. 
• Galveston News, October 30th. 



J 



I 



STORMING OF MONTEREY. 



135 



Some delay has occurrccl in answoriiig it, in order that I miirlil com- 
municate with the commandant of that post. 

*' It is with sentiments of regret I leani your just cause of com- 
plaint, founded upon the grounds stated by your excellency. Your 
excellency must be aware, that it is no easy task to keep such men 
in subjection, and although my great desire is to maintain good order, 
yet excesses have been committed ; but I believe none of a grave 
character. 

" The volunteers now in the cit)"^ will be removed in a few days, 
and by their absence I hope all cause of further complaints will cease. 
In the meantime Brigadier-General Worth will use all elTicacious 
measures to maintain order in the city. He is now invested wiih 
orders to this effect. Your excellency must be aware that my desire 
is to comply with the guaranties I have given, in the name of my 
government, relative to the security of persons and property." 

In accordance with the spirit of the above letter, active measures 
were taken by General Taylor to suppress these outrages, and to 
discover and punish the perpetrators ; and though not altogethei 
siicocssful, vet similar occurrences became far loss freiiuent. 




PLAN OF MONTEREY. 




References and Explanations. 

A. Plaza de La Capella. 

B. Plazuela de Carne. 

C. American Artillery. 

The shaded portion of the town, ten squares in the south-east comer, 
is the part held by the Mexicans on the morning ol' the 24th of Septem- 
ber, 1846, when they surrendered. 

The dotted line represents the route of the Americans. 



rrrrr 



- I- 




sssat 



e,r7r^- 




CHAPTER VIII. 

©pcratlcns in NcSu -^^txico an5 ®aIiforrJa. 

ROM the theatre of war where General 
Taylor was personally engaged, we now 
turn our eyes to the north. During the 
operations on the Rio Grande, just re- 
lated, as well as subsequent to the fall 
of Monterey, important movements had 
taken place in northern Mexico, of which 
it may not be irrelevant to take a brief 
notice. Several pretty important battles 
had been fought, which had placed tlie 
"array of invasion" in possession of the provinces of New Mexico, 
New Leon, Coahuila, Tamaulipas, and the Californias ; a territory 
larger in extent than that embraced in the thirteen original Slates of 
the Union, inhabited by a considerable population, and nnicli of it 
more than a thousand miles from the points at which the Americans 
collected their forces, and commenced their movements. 

Before desc-ibing the engagements which took place between 
18 137 




138 



LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 



m- 




the Mexican and American i'orccs, it may not be inappropriate to give 
an account of the invasion of the above provinces by the Americans. 
On the 30th of June, 184G, Brigadier-General Kearney, with tlie 
force under his command, amounting, in all, to about 1600 men, 
regulars and volunteers, moved from Fort I^avenworth upon Santa 
Fe, the capital of New Mexico, where, after a march of eight hundred 
and seventy-three miles, he arrived on the 1 8th of August, and took 
military possession of New Mexico without resistance at his approach. 
The Mexican forces, about four thousand in number, which had been 
collected near that city under the late Governor Armijo, to oppose 
his progress, dispersed, and the governor himself fled with a small 
command of dragoons in tlie direction of (^Ihihuahua. Under the 
apprehension that the force which left Fort Leavenworth in June, 
might not be sulhcient fully to elVoct the purpose of the expedition, 
whicli was, if found practicable, to pass on to California, after con- 
quering and securing New Mexico, General Kearney was autlior- 



NEW MEXICO AND CALIFORNIA. 139 

ized to organize and muster into service, a battalion of the emigrants 
wliicli were on their way to Oregon or California. This had been 
done, and ;ilso one thousand additional volunteers from Missouri 
were sent on as reinforcements, to his disposable force for California ; 
but diey had not yet arrived when he departed for that country. 

After making at Sante Fe the necessary arrangements, consequent 
on the military occupation of New Mexico, General Kearney moved 
with a part of his force to the village of Tome, about one hundred 
miles down the Rio Grande. The inhabitants, not only of this 
place and of Sante Fc, but throughout the whole department of New 
Mexico, appeared well satisfied with tlie change Uiat had taken place 
in the government. No organized resistance to the Americans was 
apprehended; all were following their peaceful occupations.* 

• Immeiliately after the occupation of New Mexico, General Kearney issued 
the following 

PROCLAMATION, 

To the inhabitants of New Mexico, by Brigadier-General S. W. Keahxet, 
commanding the troops of the United States in the same. 

As by the act of the republic of Mexico, a state of war exists between that 
government and the United States, and as the undersigned at the head of his 
troops on the 18th instant, took possession of Sante Fo, the capital of the de- 
partment of New .Mexico, he now announces to hold the department with its 
original boundaries (on both sides of the Del Norte) as a part of the United 
States, and under the name of the territory of New Mexico. 

The undersigned has come to New Mexico with a strong military force, and 
an equally strong one is following close in his rear. He has more troops than are 
neccssan,- to put down any opposition that can possibly be brought against him, 
and therefore it would be but folly or madness, for any dissatisfied or discontented 
person to think of resisting him. 

The undersigned has instructions from his govenment to respect the religious 
institutions of New Mexico, to protect the property of the Church, to cause the 
worship of those belonging to it to be undisturbed, and their rehgious rights in 
the amplest manner reserved to them. Also to protect the persons and property 
of all quiet and peaceful citizens within its boundaries against their enemies, 
the Eutaws, Navohoes and others; and while he assures all, that it will be his 
pleasure as well as his duty, to comply with those instructions, he calls upon 
those to exert themselves in preserving order, in promoting concord, and in 
maintaining the authority and etriciency of the laws ; and to require of those who 
have left their homes and taken up arms against the troops of the United States, 
to return forthwith to them, or else they will be considered as enemies and traitors, 
subjecting their persons to punishment and their property to seizure and con- 
fiscation, for the benefit of the public treasurj'. 

It is the wish and intention of the United States to provide for New Mexico 
a free government with the least possible delay, similar to those in the United 
States, and the people of New Mexico will then be called on to exercise the 



140 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

After ordering a part of the volunteers to follow him, General 
Kearney commenced his march for Cahfornia, at the head of a 
regular force of about three hundred dragoons, intending to proceed 
down the Rio Grande, about two hundred miles from Sante Fe, 
thence to strike across the Gila, and to move down that river near 
its mouth, then across the Colorado to the Pacific, where he hoped 
to arrive about the latter part of November. After proceeding about 
one hundred and eighty miles from Sante Fe, he was met by an ex- 
press from California, sent by Lieutenant-Colonel Fremont, informing 
him of the capture of California by the American land and naval forces. 
Thinking that an additional force would not be required in Califor- 
nia, he directed most of those with him to return to Sante Fe, and 
accompanied by about one hundred men, repaired forthwith to join the 
forces under Lieutenant-Colonel Fremont. The prompt and energetic 
manner in which General Kearney conducted to a successful termina- 
tion this difficult and distant enterprise, elicited the highest commenda- 
tion of the executive government of the United States. 

For various reasons, it was deemed important by the United States 
government, that military occupation should be taken of California, 
and early attention was given to the subject. 

For this purpose General Kearney was ordered to proceed with 
what force he could spare to that country, and a company of United 

rights of freemen, in electing their own representatives to the territorial legisla- 
ture ; but until this can bo done, the laws hitherto in existence wll be continucil 
until changed or modified by competent authority, and those persons holding 
office, will continue in the same for the present, provided they will consider 
themselves good citizens, and be willing to take the oath of allegiance to the 
United States. 

The undersigned hereby absolves all persons residing within the boundaries 
of New Mexico from further allegiance to the republic of Mexico, and hereby 
claims them as citizens of the United States. Those who remain quiet and 
peaceable will be considered as good citizens, and receive protection. Those who 
are found in arms, or instigating others against the United States, will be con- 
sidered as traitors, and treated accordingly. Don Manuel Armijo. the late 
governor of this department, has fled from it. The undersisined has taken 
possession of it without firing a gun, or spilling a drop of blood, in which he 
most truly rejoices, and for the present will be considered as governor of the 
territory. 

Given at Sante F6, the capital of the territory of New Mexico, this 23rd of 
August 1846, and in the 71st year of tlic independence of the United States. 
By the Governor, 

S. W. Kearitet, Brig. Gen. 



NEW MEXICO AND CALIFOUNIA. 



141 




Monterey, Alia California. 



States artillery, ami a volunteer conipaiiy orintaiitry, froih New York, 
received orders to co-operate with liim, by sea. Before, however, 
tlie latter companies had left the United States, a small naval force 
under Commodore Sloat, and a small land force under Lieutenant- 
Colonel Fremont, had acquired possession of both Californias. 

Early in the spring of 1846, Captain John C. Fremont, since 
Lieutenant-Colonel, was despatched by the War Department upon 
an exploring expedition to the countries bordering upon the Pacific, 
and lying westward of the United States. Hardly had he entered 
California, when he received information that General Castro, with a 
large force, was advancing to drive him from the territory. Colonel 
Fremont was in no condition to act against this force ; his intentions 
in entering the territory had been entirely pacific, and his whole force 
was but sixty-two men : with this little band, however, he determined 
to await the attack of General Castro, and accordingly took position 



142 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

on a mountain, distant about thirty miles from Monterey, the capital 
of California, where he intrenched himself and raised the flag of the 
United States. 

On the Uth of June, 1846. a convoy of two hundred horses for 
Castro's camp, with an officer, and fourteen men, were surprised and 
captured by twelve of Colonel Fremont's party. On the 15lh, at 
daybreak, the military pass of Sanoma was also surprised and taken, 
with nine brass cannon, two hundred and fifty stand of muskets, 
with some officers, men, and munitions of war. 

Leaving a small garrison at Sanoma, Colonel Fremont advanced 
to the American fork of the Sacramento, eighty miles distant from 
Sanoma. Scarcely had he arrived there, when an express reached 
him, that Castro was preparing to attack the litde garrison at 
Sanoma. He immediately set out for that place, and arrived there 
on the 25th, with ninety riflemen who had been obtained from the 
American settlers in the valley. A party of twenty was now sent out 
to reconnoitre ; and fell in with a squadron of seventy dragoons, all of 
Castro's force that had crossed the bay of San Francisco, attacked 
and defeated it, killing and wounding five, without harm to themselves. 
Immediately after tliis defeat. General Castro, with his force, retreat- 
ed to Santa Clara, an intrenched post on the south side of the bay of 
San Francisco. His force consisted of four hundred men, with two , 
pieces of field 'artillery. 

The country north of the bay being cleared of the enemy. Colonel 
Fremont detemiined to advance and attack General Castro at Santa 
Clara. On the 6th of July the pursuit was commenced by a body 
of mounted riflemen, commanded by Colonel Fremont in person, 
who in three days arrived at the American setdements on the Rio de 
los Americanos. Here he learned that Castro had abandoned Santa 
Clara, and was retreating south towards Ciudad de los Angelos, (the 
city of the Angels,) the seat of the governor-general of the Californias, 
and distant nearly four hundred miles. 

Colonel Fremont instanUy resolved to pursue him to that place. 
At the moment of departure, he received the gratifying intelligence 
that war had been declared with Mexico ; that Monterey, in Cali- 
fornia, had been taken by a naval force under Commodore Sloat, and 
the flag of the United States raised there on the 7th of July, and 



NKW MEXICO, AND CALIFORNIA. 143 

that the fleet would co-operate in the pursuit of General Castro and 
his forces. 

Shortly after the occupation of Monterey, Commodore Stockton 
look command of the squadron in the Pacific, and Commodore Sloat 
sailed for tlie United States. The combined pursuit of Castro was 
rapidly continued, and on the 12lh of Au^st, Commodore Stockton 
and Colonel Fremont, with a detachment of marines from the squa- 
dron, and some riflemen, entered the " city of the Angels'' without 
resistance; the Governor-General Pico, the Commandant-General 
Castro, and all the Mexican authorities having fled and dispersed. 
Commodore Stockton took possession of the whole country as a con- 
quest of the United States, and appointed Colonel Fremont governor, 
under the law of nations, to assume the functions of that office when 
he (Stockton) should return to the squadron. 

Thus in the short space of sixty days from the first decisive 
movement, this conquest was achieved by a small body of men, to 
an extent beyond their most ardent expectations. The Mexican au- 
thorities proclaimed it a conquest, not only of the northern provinces, 
but of the whole of the Californias. 

Very little resistance was made to the advances of the Americans 
in the northern provinces of Mexico, until the beginning of the year 
1847, when the inhabitants of New Mexico and Chihuahua made 
several desperate, attempts to recover possession of dieir soil, but 
they were defeated in every engagement. 

On the 24ih of January, 1847, at the village of La Canada, thirty 
miles from Santa Fe, an engagement took place between a small 
force of the Americans (290 men) under Colonel Price, and a body 
of 2000 Mexicans and Indians. As the Americans approached the 
village, they found the enemy posted on the hills in every direction, 
and in most advantageous positions. The artillery was soon brought 
to bear upon them, and the fight lasted about an hour, when the 
enemy fled over the distant hills so fast that it was found impossible 
to overtake them. The Americans lost not a single man, while tlie 
enemy acknowledged a loss of 36 killed and 45 wounded. 

On the 29th, another engagement took place at the village of El 
Embudo, between a large body of Mexicans and a small force under 
the command of Captain Bargwin. The Americans had to climb 



144 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

steep mountains, supportin<^ themselves by the bushes, to dislodge 
the enemy, who were finally routed with a loss of twenty killed, and 
about sixty wounded, many of them mortally. The Americans had 
but one man killed and one wounded. 

Another engagement took place on the 3d of February, at the 
strongly fortified village of Puebia de Taos. The attack commenced 
about two o'clock, p. m., and was continued until dark. Early on 
the next morning the battle was renewed, and continued with occa- 
sional intervals, until dark, at which time the Americans, with very 
litde loss, had forced their way into the village. The next morning 
the enemy sued for peace, delivered the government into the hands 
of the Americans, and thus ended the campaign in New Mexico, 

In the department of Chihuahua the Americans met ^Vith very 
litde resistance until the early part of the year 1847, when the 
enemy occupied and fortified the ridge and neighboring heights about 
Sacramento. Their intrenchments and redoubts commanded tlie 
brow of an elevation extending across the ridge between the Arroyo 
Seco and that of Sacramento — both of which cross the valley from 
tlie elevated ridge of mountains in the rear of the village of Torreon, 
known by the name of the Sierra de Victorianto, that of Nombreo 
de Dios on the east, and through which runs the Rio del Nombreo 
de Dios. This valley is about four miles in width, and was in-- 
trenched by the Mexicans entirely across from mountain to mountain, 
the road to the city of Chihuahua running direcdy through its centre. 
The Mexican right and left were strong positions — the Sierra Fri- 
joles on Uieir right, having high precipitous sides, with a redoubt 
commanding the surrounding country, and the pass leading towards 
Chihuahua, througli the Arroyo Seco. On their left, the Sierre Sa- 
cramento, consisting of a pile of volcanic rocks, surmounted by a 
battery, commanded the main road to Chihuahua. Their intrench- 
ments extended nearly two miles, and were supporteil by 3000 
infantry and cavalry. On the 28th of February, a force of the 
Americans, many times inferior in numbers to that of the enemy, 
advanced to attack this well fortified position. Crossing the Arroyo 
Seco, without reach of the enemy's fire, the Americans rapidly ad- 
vanced towards the table laud between the Seco and Sacramento, and 
before they could be prevented by the enemy, by a rapid movement, 



NEW MEXICO AND CALIFORNIA. 145 

seized upon a favoralile position, and at once opened a heavy fire 
upon a body of the enemy's cavalry that were rapidly advancing to 
charge their rear. 

This fire broke the ranks of die cavalry, and they fled in confusion 
behind their intrenchnients. 

The Mexicans now rapidly deployed into line, bringing up their 
artillery from behind the intrenchnients, from which they opened a 
heavy lire upon the American line, mainly directed upon the battery, 
hut with little effect. The fire of the Americans dismounted one of 
die enemy's pieces, dispersed the cavalry, and drove the infantry 
from its position, forcing it again to retire behind the intrenchments. 
The firing on both sides now ceased for some time, the enemy, dur- 
ing the cessation, removing his cannon and wounded, while the 
Americans moved towards the right, for the purpose of securing a 
more advantageous position. The moment this object was gained, 
a rapid charge was made upon the enemy's left, and a heavy fire of 
grape and canister opened into his ranks, which was returned, but 
without effect. The Americans now advanced upon the intrench- 
ments, pouring forth so destructive a fire that the enemy were 
driven from their breastworks in great confusion. Simultane- 
ously with this, successful charges were made against the right and 
centre. The Mexicans vacated all of their intrenchments, and, de- 
serting their guns, were holly pursued towards the mountains beyond 
the Sierra Frijoles, and down Arroyo Seco la Sacramento, by both 
wings of the American army. To cover their retreat they had 
taken the heaviest of the cannon from the intrenchments to the Sierra 
Sacramento, which now opened a heavy fire upon the pursuing 
Americans, but it was returned with such briskness and precision 
that the battery was soon silenced, and the enemy seen precipitately 
retreating. 

We will now glance at the most important movements of Colonel 
Doniphan, which we have reserved for a separate paragraph, in 
order to present them in one view. He iiad been detached with a 
party of about six hundred men, of whom one hundred were from 
Santa Fe, under Lieutenant-Colonel Mitchell, and the remainder 
■were his own troops. On the 25th of December, 1810, he was 
met by about eleven hundred Mexicans from the city of Chihuahua. 
19 



146 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

to whom he gave bailie. At the commencement of the attack his 

men were in great confusion, but being called together immediately, 

and drawn up as infantry, they received three fires from the en^niy 

with great firmness, and then poured forth such a volley as broke 

the entire line of the enemy. After the third fire Captain Reid 

made a gallant charge with sixteen mounted men, and killed several 

of the enemy, and captured some mules and horses, and a mule 

load of powder. A full account of the batde, which lasted about 

half an hour, is given in the following report : 

Detachmext of Mo. Light Ahtillert, 
Camp below Bracito, Rio Grande, Dec. 26, 1846. 

Dear Sir : — I can only write to you a few Unes, being upon the 
point of breaking up camp. Our detachment at Fray Cristobal, 
overtook Colonel Doniplian's command. Major Gilpin with two 
hundred and fifty men, had previously left for El Paso, and Colo- 
nel Jackson was following with two hundred. Colonel Doniphan 
had one hundred and fifty men widi him, the remainder of his regi- 
ment being sick, attending on sick, or detached through the country. 
From Fray Cristobal our detachment marched with Colonel Doni- 
phan south ; when at the Laguna of the Jornada del Muerte, news 
reached us through an express sent by Major Gilpin, that the Mex- 
icans had determined to resist at El Paso, and had collected a conside- 
rable number of troops, intending to give us batde. An express had 
been sent to Santa Fe for part of the artillery under INIajor Clarke, 
but no news had as yet reached us from them, so that the detach- 
ment of thirty men from the three companies of our corps are all 
that are here from the battalion. At the soutliern end of the Jor- 
nada, ten miles north of Don Ana, the traders had encamped. 
Contradictory rumors of the enemy's approach reached us daily. 

Yesterday, (Christmas,) when we had just arrived in camp here, 
with about six hundred men, had unsaddli>d our animals, and most 
of the men were engaged in carrying wood and water, the news 
was brought into camp, that the enemy were near, and advancing. 
It was about two o'clock, p. m., and the day was very pleasant. 
Our horses crazing some distance from camp, at the time, we 
formed a single line, and determined to meet the enemy as infantry. 
Their attack being evidendy designed on the left flank, near which 



NEW MEXICO AND CALIFORNIA, 



147 




Town of Marin and Pass of Salinas. 



was our wagon train, our detachment was orilered from the extreme 
right to the left, where we soon took up our position. One piece 
of artillery, four hundred and ninety regular lancers and cavalry, 
and one hundred regular infantry, besides some five hundred militia 
troops from El Paso, composed the enemy's forces, according tc 
the best information I can obtain from reports of prisoners and from 
papers found amongst the baggage on the field of battle. The enemy 
ranged themselves on the east, within half a mile of our line, the 
mountains in their rear. In our rear was the river with a litUe 
brushwood on its banks. 

Previous to the encounter, a lieutenant from the ranks came for- 
ward, waving a black flag in his hand, but hailed when within one 
hundred steps of our line. Thomas Caldwell, our interpreter, rode 
out to meet him. The messenger with the black flag of defiance 
demanded that the commander should come into their camp and 



148 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

speak to their general. The reply was — ' If your general wants to 
see our commander, let him come here.' • We shall break your 
ranks then and take him there,' was the retort of the Mexican. 
• Come and take him,' said the interpreter, unwittingly using the 
words of the Spartan at Thermopylae. ' A curse on you, prepare 
for a charge,' cried the Mexican, ' we give no quarters and ask 
none,' and waving his black flag gracefully over his head, he gal- 
loped back towards the enemy's line. Their charge was made by 
the dragoons from their right, directed upon our left flank, bringing 
our detachment into the closest fire. Their infantry, with one 
howitzer with them, at the same time attacking our right flank. 

Their charge was a handsome one, but was too well, too coolly 
met to break our line. After their fire had been spent, their front 
column being at about one hundred steps from die front of our flank, 
our line poured a volley into them, which being a few times repeated, 
created such havoc in their columns, that their forces wheeled to 
the left, retreating from our fire, and in their flight made an attack 
on the provision train. Here they met with a very warm recep- 
tion, and were soon compelled to fly in all directions, and in the 
utmost confusion. Their infantry having been put to flight, the 
Howard company, under the command of Lieutenant N. Wright, 
taking advantage of the panic, charged upon them, and captured - 
their cannon, which was soon manned by the artillery detachment, 
under Lieutenant Kribben, in Colonel Mitchell's escort. The 
enemy had by this time fled, leaving their arms, baggage, provi- 
sions, and other stores on the field of batUe. 

A small body of mounted men, under the command of Captain 
Reid, had by this time gathered together in a line, and charged upon 
the enemy, pursuing tliem into the mountains, where tiiey sought 
refiige. The number of their dead is said to be at least thirty, 
that of their wounded was slight, as far as ascertained. Had we 
had a single piece of cannon with us, they would have lost more 
of their men, but having no artillery on our side, we had to act as 
infantry until we got possession of Uie howitzer so gallantly cap- 
tured by tlte Howard company. 

We lost not a single man, and had but seven slighfly wounded, 
took eight prisoners, six of whom died last night. Thus ended 



NEW MEXICO AND CALIFORNIA. 149 

the battle of Bracilo, tlic first battle of the army of the west, and 
as bravely fouglit by our men as ever men foiiglit at any engage- 
ment." 

The force which engaged Colonel Doniphan was undoubtedly 
part of a large number of troops who had been appointed to aid 
die dissatisfied of New Mexico, in their opposition to the lately 
established American government. A plan for that purpose had 
long been in operation among the greater portion of the inhabitants, 
but after some of the leaders were detected, it was in a great measure 
broken up. 

After the battle, the Americans hastened toward La Paso, in the 
hope of overtaking a large body of Mexicans, said to be posted 
there. He took possession of the pass with but little trouble, and 
was soon joined by Major M. Lewis Clarke, which augmented his 
force to nearly one thousand men. His attack upon the city of 
Chihuahua, with this force, detailed in his official report, as fol- 
lows : 

HEAH-QrAUTERS OF TIIE ArMT IX CninrAHUA, 

City of Chihuahua, March ith, 1847. 

I have the honor to report to you the movements of the army under 
my command since my last official report. 

On the evening of the 8th of February, 1847, we left die town 
of El Paso del Norte, escorting the merchant train or caravan of 
about three hundred and fifteen w:igons for the city of Chihualiua. 
Our force consisted of nine hundred and twenty-four effective men, 
one hundred and seventeen officers and privates of tlie artillery, 
ninety-three of Lieutenant-Colonel Mitchell's escort, and the re- 
mainder the first regiment Missouri mounted volunteers. We pro- 
gressed in the direction of diis place until the 25th, when we were 
informed by our spies that the enemy, to die number of fifteen hun- 
dred men were at Inseneas, the country-seat of Governor Trias, about 
twenty-five miles in advance. 

When we arrived on the evening of the 26th near that point, we 
found Uiat the force had retreated in the direction of Uiis city. We 
were also informed that there was no water between tlie point we 
were at and Uiat occupied by the enemy ; we therefore determined 
to halt until morning. At sunrise on tlie 28tli, the last day of 



150 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

February, we took up the line of march, and formed the whole train, 
consisting of three hundred and fifteen heavy traders' wagons and 
our commissary and company wagons, into four columns, thus short- 
ening our line so as to make it more easily protected. We placed 
the artillery, and all the command except two hundred cavalry 
proper in the intervals between the columns of wagons. We thus 
fully concealed our force and its position, by masking our force with 
the cavalry. When we arrived within three miles nf the enemy, 
we made a reconnoisance of his position, and of the arrangement of 
his forces. This we could easily do — the road leading through an 
open prairie valley between sterile mountains. The pass of the 
Sacramento is formed by a point of the mountains on our right, their 
left extending into the valley or plain so as to narrow the valley to 
about one mile and a half. On our left was a deep, dry, sandy 
channel of a creek, and between these points the plain rises to sixty 
feet abruptly. This rise is in the form of a crescent, the convex 
part being to the north of our forces. On the right from the point 
of mountains, a narrow part of the plain extends north one mile 
and a half further than on the left. The main road passes down the 
centre of the valley and across the crescent, near the left or dry 
branch. The Sacramento rises in tlie mountains on the right, and 
the road falls on to it about one mile below the battle-field or intrench- 
ment of the enemy. We ascertained that the enemy had one battery 
of four guns, two nine and six pounders, on the point of the moun- 
tain to our right (their left) at a good elevation to sweep tlie plain, 
and at a point where the mountains extended fartliest into the plain. 
On our left they had another battery on an elevation commanding the 
road, and three intrenchments of two six pounders ; and on the brow 
of the crescent, near the centre, another of two six and two four, 
and six culverins or rampart pieces mounted on carriages ; and on 
the crest of the hill, or ascent between the batteries, and on tlie right 
and left they had twenty-seven redoubts dug and thrown up, extend- 
ing at short intervals across the whole ground. In these their 
infantry were placed, and were entirely protected. Their cavalry 
was drawn up in front of tlie redoubts in the intervals four deep, and 
in the front of the redoubts two deep, so as to mask them as far as 
possible. When we had arrived within one and a half miles of the 



NKW MEXICO AND CALIFORNIA. 151 

intrenchments alon<T the main road, we advanced the cavalry still 
farther, and suddenly diverged with the columns to the right, so as 
to gain tlie narrow part of our ascent on our right, which the enemy 
discovering, endeavored to prevent by moving forward with one 
thousand cavalry, and four pieces of cannon in their rear, masked 
by tlicm. Our movements were so rapid, tliat we gained the eleva- 
tion wiUi our forces and the advance of our wagons in time to form 
before they arrived within reach of our guns. The enemy halted, 
and we advanced the head of our column within twelve hundred 
yards of them, so as to let our wagons attain the highlands and form 
as before. 

We now commenced the action by a brisk fire from our battery, 
and the enemy unmasked and commenced also. Our fires proved 
effective at this distance, killing fifteen men, wounding others, and 
disabling one of the enemy's guns. We had two men slighdy 
wounded, and several horses and mules killed. The enemy then 
slowly retreated behind Uieir works in some confusion, and we 
resumed our march in our former order, still diverging more to the 
right to avoid their battery on our left (their right,) and their strongest 
redoubts, which were on the left near where the road passes. After 
marching as far as we safely could without coming in range of their 
heavy battery on our right. Captain Weightman of the artillery was 
ordered to charge witli the two twelve pound howitzers, to be sup- 
ported by the cavalry under Captains Reid, Parsons, and Hudson. 
The howitzers charged at full speed, and were gallantly sustained 
by Captain Reid, but by some misunderstanding my order was not 
given to the other two companies. CapUiin Hudson anUcipating my 
order, charged in time to give ample support to the howitzers. 
Captain Parsons at the same moment came to me and asked per- 
mission for his company to charge the redoubts immediately to the 
left of Captain Weightman, which he did very gallantly. The 
remainder of the two battalions of the first regiment were dismounted 
during the cavalry charge, and following rapidly on foot, and .Major 
Clarke advancing as fast as practicable with die remainder of the 
battery, we charged their redoulns from right to left with a brisk and 
deadly fire of riflemen ; while Major Clarke opened a rapid and well 
directed fire on a column of cavalry attempting to pass to our left so 



152 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

as to attack the wagons and our rear. The fire was so well directed 
as to force them to fall back, and our riflemen, with the cavalry and 
howitzers cleared after an obstinate resistance. Our forces advanced 
to the very brink of their redoubts, and attacked them with tlieir 
sabres. When the redoubts were cleared, and the batteries in the 
centre and on our left were silenced, the main battery on our right still 
continued to pour in a constant and heavy fire as it had done during 
the heat of the engagement, but as the whole fate of the battle de- 
pended upon carrying the redoubts and centre battery, this one on the 
right remained unattacked, and the enemy had rallied there five hun- 
dred strong. 

Major Clarke was directed to commence a heavy fire upon it, 
while Lieutenant-Colonels Mitchell and Jackson, commanding the 
first battalion, were ordered to remount and charge the battery on the 
left, while Major Gilpin was directed to pass die second battalion 
on foot up tlie rough ascent of the mountain on the opposite side. 
The fire of our battery was so effective, as to completely silence 
theirs, and the rapid advance of our column put diem to flight over 
to the mountains in great confusion. 

Captain Thompson of the first dragoons acted as my aid and 
adviser on the field during the whole engagement, and was of tlie 
most essential service to me ; also Lieutenant Wooster of the United 
States army, who acted very coolly and gallantly. Major Campbell, 
of Springfield, Missouri, also acted as a volunteer aid during part of 
the time, but left me and joined Captain Reid in his gallant charge. 
Thus ended the batde of Sacramento. The force of the enemy was 
twelve hundred cavalry from Durango and Chihuahua, with the 
Vera Cruz dragoons, twelve hundred infantry from Chihuahua, three 
hundred artillerists, and fourteen hundred and twenty rancheros, 
badly armed with lassos, lances, and machitoes, or corn knives ; 
ten pieces of artillery, two nine, two eight, four six, and two four 
pounders, and six culverins or rampart pieces. Their forces were 
commanded by Major-Gencral llcndca, geiuMal of Durango, 
Chihu:ihua, Sonora, and New Mexico ; Brigadier-General Jasliniaiii, 
Brigadier-General Garcia Conde, formerly minister of war for the 
republic of iMexico, who is a scientific man, ant! planned this whole 
field of defence ; General Uguerte, and Governor Trias, who acted 



NEW MEXICO AND CALIFORNIA. 153 

as a brigadicr-gciicral on ihc Hold, and colonels and other officers 
witlioiit number. 

Our force was nine hundred and twenty-four en'ective men, at 
least one hundred of whom were engaged in holding horses and 
driving teams. The loss of the enemy was his en lire artillery, ten 
wagons, masses of beans and pinola, and other M-xican provisions, 
about three hundred killed, and about the same number wounded, 
many of whom have since died, and forty, prisoners. 

The lleld was literally covered with the dead and wounded from 
our artillery, and the unerring tire of our riflemen. Night put a stop 
to the carnage, the battle having commenced about three o'clock. 
Our loss was one killed, one mortally wounded, and seven so 
wounded as to recover without any loss of limbs. I cannot speak 
too highly of the coolness, gallantry, and bravery of the officers and 
men under my command. 

I was ably sustained by the field officers Lieutenant-Colonels 
Mitchell and Jackson of the first battalion, and Major Gilpin of the 
second battalion. Major Clarke and his artillery acted nobly, and 
did the most efTective service in every part of the field. It is abun- 
dandy shown in the charge made by Captain Weightman with the sec- 
tion of howitzers, that they can be used in any charge of cavalry with 
greatefTect. Much has beensaid,and justly said, of the gallantry of our 
artillery unlimbering within two hundred and fifty yards of the enemy 
at Palo Alto ; but how much more daring was the charge of Captain 
Weightman, when he unlimbered within fifty yards of the redoubts 
of the enemy. 

On the 1st day of March we took formal possession of the capital 
of Chihuahua in the name of our government. We were ordered 
by General Kearney to report to General Wool at this place. Since 
our arrival we hear lie is at Saltillo, surrounded by the enemy. Our 
present purpose is either to force our way to him, or to return by 
Bexar, as our term of service expires on the last day of Mav next. 

I have the honor to be, your obedient servant, 

A. W. DoNiPirAN, 
Colonel 1st Regt. Mo. Vol. 

Brig. Gen. R. Joxes, Adjt. Gen. U. S. A. 
20 



154 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

The following is a translation of Colonel Doniphan's proclamation 
to the inhabitants of the newly conquered province. 



PROCLAMATION', 
Of the Commander-in-chief of the North American forces in Chihuahua. 

The Commander-in-chief of the American forces in Chihuahua 
announces to aU the citizens of that state, that he has taken mihtary 
possession of the capital, and has the pleasure of assuring them that 
in it complete tranquillity exists. 

He invites all the citizens to return to tlieir houses, and continue 
in their ordinary occupations, promising to them security of person, 
property, and religion. 

He declares also in the name of his government, that having taken 
possession of the capital since he conquered the forces of the state, 
he holds possession of the whole state. 

He invites all the citizens, pueblos, and rancheros to continue 
their trade, coming to this capital to buy and sell just as tliey did 
before recent occurrences, for no one will be molested or annoyed 
in any thing, as he before has explained ; that the property of each 
person will be respected, and that in case the troops of his command 
need any thing, the value of it will be paid at its just price with all 
punctuality. 

He pledges himself in like manner that the American troops will 
punish prompdy every excess committed eillier by the savage Indians 
or any other individuals. 

He again assures all good citizens, that we war only against the 
army, and not against individual citizens who are unarmed. For 
this we exact only, not diat any Mexican should take up arms 
against his country, but that in case of actual war he should remain 
neutral ; for it must not, on the contrary, be expected that we shall 
respect the rights of those who take up arms against our views. 
Alexander W. Doniphan, 

General-in-Chief. 



NEW MEXICO AND CALIFORNIA. 155 

The following letter delines the instructions of the colonel, as well 
as his situation after the action of Sacramento. 

Hkad-Qcarteiis of the Army ix Ciiihuahca, 
City of Chihuahua, March 20th, 1847. 

Sir : — The forces under my command are a portion of the Missouri 
volunteers, called into service for the purpose of invading New 
Mexico, under the command of Brigadier-General Kearney. After 
the conquest of New Mexico, and before General Kearney's departure 
for California, information was received that another regiment, and 
an extra battalion of Missouri volunteers, would follow us to Santa 
Fe. The service of so large a force being wholly unnecessary in 
that state, I prevailed on General Kearney to order my regiment to 
report to you at this city. The order was given on the 23d of Sep- 
tember, 1846, but after the general arrived at La Juga, in the 
southern part of the state, he issued an order requiring my regiment 
to make a campaign into the country inhabited by the Navejo Indians, 
lying between the waters of the Rio del Norte and tlie Rio Colorado 
of the west. This campaign detained me until the 14th of Decem- 
ber, before our return to the Del Norte. We immediately com- 
menced our march for El Paso del Norte, with about eight hundred 
riflemen. All communications between Chihuahua and New Mexico 
were entirely prevented. On the 25th of December, 1846, my 
van-guard was attacked at Brazito by the Mexican forces from this 
state. Our force was about four hundred and fifty, and the force of 
the enemy eleven hundred. The engagement lasted about forty 
minutes, when the enemy fled, leaving sixty-three killed and since 
dead, one hundred and fifty wounded, and one howitzer, the only 
piece of artillery in the engagement on either side. On the 29th 
we entered El Paso without further opposition, and from the prisoners 
and others I learned that you had not marched upon this state. I 
then determined to order a battery and a hundred artillerists from 
New Mexico. They arrived at El Paso on the 5th of February, 
when we took up the line of march for this place. A copy of my 
ofiicial report of the battle of Sacramento, enclosed to you, will show 
you all our subsequent movements up to our takinir military posses- 
sion of this capital. The day of my arrival I had determined to 
send an express to you forthwith, but the whole intermediate country 



156 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

was m the hands of the enemy, and we were cut off, and had been 
for many months, from all mformalion respecting the American army. 
Mexican reports are never to be fully credited, yet from all we could 
learn, we did not doubt that you would be forced by overwhelming 
numbers to abandon Saltillo, and of course we could send no express 
under such circumstances. On yesterday we received tlie first even 
tolerably reliable information, that a battle had been fought near 
Saltillo between the American and Mexican forces, and that Santa 
Anna had probably fallen back on San Louis de Potosi. 

My position here is exceedingly embarrassing. In the first place, 
most of the men under my command have been in service since the 
1st of June, and have never received one cent of pay. Their marches 
have been hard, especially in the Navajo country, and no forage ; 
so that they are literally without horses, clothes, or money — nothing 
but arms and a disposition to use them. They are all volunteers, 
officers and men, and although ready for any hardships or danger, 
are wholly unfit to garrison a town or city. " It is confusion, worse 
confounded." Having performed a march of more than two thou- 
sand miles, and their term of service rapidly expiring, tliey are restless 
to join the army under your command. Still we cannot leave this 
point safely for some days — the American merchants here oppose 
it violently, and have several hundred thousand dollars at stak^. 
They have sent me a memorial, and my determination has been 
made known to them. A copy of both they will send you. Of 
one thing it is necessary to inform you. The merchants admit that 
their goods could not be sold here in five years : if they go south 
they will be as near to the markets of Durango and Zacatecas as 
they now are. I am anxious and willing to protect the merchants 
as far as practicable, but I protest against remaining here as a mere 
wagon guard, to garrison a city with troops wholly unfitted for it, 
and who will soon be wholly ruined by improper indulgences. Hav- 
ing been originally ordered to this point, you know the wishes of the 
government in relation to it, and of course your orders will be 
promptly and cheerfully obeyed. I fear there is ample use for us 
with you, and we would greatly prefer joining you before our term 
of service expires. 

All information relative to my previous operations, present con- 



NEW MEXICO AND CALIFORNIA. 157 

dition, &c., will be given you i)y Mr. J. Collins, the bearer of these 
despatches. He is a higidy honorable gentleman, and was an 
ainiieur soldier at Sacramento. 

The Mexicans report your last battle as having been highly 
favoraiile to themselves, but taking it for granted that they never 
report the truth, we have fired a salute for our victory, in honor of 
yourself and General Taylor, presuming from report that you were 
boUi present. 

Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

A. W. DOMPHAX, 
Comd'g 1st Regt. Missouri Mounted Volunteers. 
Brig. Gen. Wool, U. S. A. 

The following excellent remarks upon this expedition of Colonel 
Doniphan, we copy from the New York Evening Post. When all 
llie circumstances are carefully weighed, we think the eulogy will 
be considered as very little overwrought. 

Xenophon and Doniphan. — These are the names of two mili- 
ary commanders who have made the most extraordinary marches, 
known in the annals of the warfare of their times. Colonel Xeno- 
pliou, as, in modern phrase, he has justly a right to be called, lived 
about one hundred years earlier than the Christian era. Born in 
Greece, and educated under Socrates as a favorite pupil, he, at the 
age of nearly forty years, joined a regiment of Greeks who had 
enlisted under Cyrus the younger, for a campaign, as it was pre- 
tended, against the Pisidians, but in reality against Persia, as the 
Greeks soon discovered after their march had begun. The object 
of Cyrus, as our readers well know, was to dethrone his brotlier, 
the king of Persia. After a long march through Asia Minor, Syria, 
and the sandy tract east of the Euphrates, the two brothers met at 
Cunaxa, not far from Babylon. Cyrus fell in the almost bloodless 
battle that ensued, his baibarian troops were discouraged and dis- 
persed, and the Greeks were left alone in the centre of the Persian 
empire. The Greek officers were soon massacred by the treachery 
of the Persians. Xenophon stepped forward, and soon became 
one ui' the most active leaders, and under his judicious guidance 
the Greeks effected their retreat northward across the high lands of 



153 LIFE OF GFNEUAL TAYLOR. 

Armenia, and arrived al 'i'rcbisond, on llie southeast coast of the 
Black Sea. 

From thence they proceeded to Chrysopolis, opposite Constanti- 
nople. Both Colonel Xenophon and the regiment, consisting of about 
five hundred men, were greatly distressed, having lost almost every 
thing excepting their lives and their arms. The length of the entire 
march of the Greek force, as nearly as we can now estimate it, 
was three thousand four hundred and sixty -five English miles. It 
was accomplished in fifteen months, and a large part of it through 
an unknown, mountainous, and hostile country, and in an inclement 
season. The history of this march has survived the ravages of two 
thousand years, and as one of the best productions of a Greek 
scholar, is now used as a text book in our schools. 

Turning now to the wonderful march of Colonel Doniphan, we 
find the first regiment of Missouri mounted volunteers mustered 
into the service of the United States at Fort Leavenworth, on the 
6th of June, last year, and on the 22d of the same month they com- 
menced their march across the plains for Mexico. After a march 
of fifty-seven days duration they entered Santa Fe. On the IGth 
of the present month, we find this regiment at New Orleans, about 
to be discharged, as their enlistment for a year was nearly expired. 
In the mean time this body of men had fought three battles, viz : 
Brazito, Sacramento, and El Paso. That of Brazito was on Christ- 
mas day, and opened an entrance into El Paso del Norte. The 
Mexicans had twelve hundred and fifty men, and one piece of artil- 
lery ; the Americans four hundred and twenty-five infantry; the 
piece of cannon was captured, and the Mexican army entirely de- 
stroyed. That of Sacramento was fought on the 28th of February. 
This battle — one of the most remarkable in the war, is familiar 
through the reports of Colonel Doniphan and other field ofiicers. 
The battle of El Paso was fought about the 13th of IXIay, by the 
advanced guard under Captain Reid ; the Americans had twenty- 
five men, and the Camanclies sixty-five. The Indians were routed, 
and left seventeen bodies on the field. Tiiree hundred and fifty 
head of cattle, twenty-five Mexican prisoners, and a great deal of 
Mexican plunder were captured. 

The battle of Sacramento lasted three hours and a half, and the 



NEW MEXICO AND CALIFORNIA. 159 

shiugiiler of the Mexican army continued until night put an end to 
i!ie chase. The men returned to tlie battle field after dark, com- 
pletely worn out and exhausted with fatigue. The Mexicans 
lost tliree hundred men killed on the field, and a large number of 
wounded, perhaps four hundred or five hundred, and sixty or 
seventy prisoners, together with a vast quantity of provisions, seve- 
ral thousand dollars in money, fifty thousand head of sheep, fifteen 
hundred head of cattle, one hundred mules, twenty wagons, twenty 
or thirty carts, twenty-five thousand pounds of ammunition, eleven 
pieces of cannon, mosUy brass six pounders, six wall pieces, one 
hundred stand of arms, one hundred stand of colors, and many other 
things of less note. 

This body of men conquered the states of New Mexico and Chi- 
hualiua, and traversed Durango and New Leon. In this march 
they travelled more than six thousand miles, consuming twelve 
months. During all this time not one word of information reached 
them from the government, nor any order whatsoever ; they neither 
received any supplies of any kind, or one cent of pay. They lived 
exclusively on the country through which they passed, and sup- 
plied themselves with powder and balls by capturing them from the 
enemy. From Chihuahua to Matamoras, a distance of nine hun- 
dred miles, they marched in forty-five days, bringing with ihem 
seventeen pieces of heavy artillery as trophies. 

It must be confessed that in many very important particulars these 
two expeditions differ from each other. One was the march of a 
conqueror, the other was the retreat of an inferior force. One was 
made on horseback, and the other on foot, and at an inclement sea- 
son of the year. One was made at an early age of the world, 
when military science was undeveloped, the other was made with 
all the advantages of modern improvements. But our object is not 
so much to draw a comparison between these two expeditions as to 
notice the circumstance that these two men, whose names are in 
sound so similar, have each performed the most wonderful march in 
the annals of warfiire. If Colonel Doniphan will now imitate the 
example of Colonel Xenophon, and give to the world as charming 
and as perfect a history of his expedition as the latter has done, 
mankind two thousand years hence, will admire and honor hira. 



160 



LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 



Such is the rapid and able sketch of this famous march, as given 
in the paper above quoted. The grand outHne is readily filled up 
by the imagination of the reader. The long, long days of weary 
marching — the earnest longing for the sight of an enemy — the fierce 
encounter, hand to hand — the rout and flight of the enemy — the 
rejoicing of the conquerors over captured posts and cities — the suf- 
ferings of the wounded on the toilsome march — the hunger and 
thirst of their progress over desolate mountains and arid plains ; — 
these form the light and shadow and the coloring of this grand his- 
torical picture. 













14 








CHAPTER IX. 

Gtr.ixtil ©ajior at i^^znttxe^, 

T the time when the important opera- 
tions recorded in the last chapter were 
in progress, events scarcely less im- 
portant had been transpiring at the 
capital of Mexico. As is ever the case 
with a revolutionary people, the ill 
success of their forces on the Rio 
Grande, had been attributed to the in- 
tenlional fault of the rulers ; and the 
same party who had been instrumental 
in the promotion of General Paredes to the presidential dignity, now 
clamored loudly for his removal. Mexico presented a scene of 
21 161 




162 



LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 



disorder and anarchy, and amid the chaotic mass of revohitions, 
the president was hurried from his office to give place to his success- 
ful opponent Jose Mariano de Salas. Paredes advanced toward 
Queretaro, accompanied by fifty lancers, and a few military friends : 
but on his way he was intercepted, by a detatchment of five hundred 
troops, and conveyed as a prisoner to the castle of Perole. ^^'hile 




General Santa Anna. 

at the capital his situation was not at all enviable; many were 
desirous of having him executed as a traitor, and but for the inter- 
ference of General Salas, who subsequently referred his case to 
Santa Anna, this would probably have lieen done. The ex-president 
subseiiuendy escaped, and fled to Havana. 

This state of things seems to have been only the harbinger of a 
more important movement, whose object was to restore to favor one, 
who, although he had long been known only as a doomed and 



GENERAL TAYLOR AT MONTEREY. 163 

exiled traitor, yet now seems to have inspired a great majority of 
the Mexican people with the utmost confidence and enthusiasm 
towards him. This was Lopez de Santa Anna. He was recalled 
to iMexico, soon after the active operations on the Rio Grande, and 
landed in Vera Cruz on the 16th of August, notwithstanding that 
port was then blockaded by the American Gulf squadron under 
Commodore Conner. He was here welcomed by the two sons of 
Salas, who had been sent by the president, expressly to welcome him. 
Salas was an ardent admirer of Santa Anna, and declared that he 
held the government only as his representative. 

Soon after the arrival of this celebrated character, Salas issued a 
proclamation commanding Congress to convene, on the 6th of Decem- 
ber, in order to re-establish the old Constitution of 1824, and affirm- 
ing that constitution to be in the meanwhile in operation. 

While at Vera Cruz, Santa Anna published an address to the 
people of Mexico, dated August 16lh, in which he expatiated at large 
on his former excellent government, the miseries brought on by 
misrule since liis banishment, the plans he intended to pursue for 
the purpose of national regeneration ; the whole concluded with 
enthusiastic appeals to Mexican pride and patriotism. This address 
was conceived in good style, and is far more temperate, both in 
thought and language, than most Mexican proclamations. Some 
time after the issue of this paper, its author remained at his hacienda, 
near Vera Cruz, in order to recruit his health. He left in Septem- 
ber for the capital, and on the 14th reached Ayotla, a small town 
within about forty miles of Mexico. Here he received a communica- 
tion from Almonte, the ad interim secretary of war, proposing to 
him the supreme executive power or dictatorship, in the name of the 
provisional government of Salas. 

We insert the reply in full, as it exhibits not only the character 
of the man, but also the popular feeling toward the United States. 

General 8axta Axxa, Commander-in-chief of the Liberating Army, to 

General Almo.vte, Minister of War of tfie Republic of Mexico. 

Ayotla, 1 o'clock A. M., Sept. 14th, 1846. 

Sir : — I have received your favor of this date, acknowledging a 

decree issued by the supreme government of the nation, embracmg 

a programme of the proceedings adopted to regulate a due celebration 



164 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

of the re-establishment of tlie constitution of 182-1 ; the assumption 
by myself of the supreme executive power, and the anniversary of 
the glorious cry of Dolores. 

My satisfaction is extreme to observe the enthusiasm with which 
preparations are made, to celebrate the two great blessings which 
have fallen upon this nation — her independence and her liberty ; and 
I am penetrated with the deepest gratitude to find that my arrival at 
the capital will be made to contribute to the solemnities of so great an 
occasion. In furtherance of this subject, I shall make my entry into 
the city to-morrow, at mid-day, and desire in contributing my share 
to the national jubilee, to observe such a course as shall best accord 
with my duties to my country-^beloved of my heart — and with the 
respect due to the will of the sovereign people. 

I have been called by the voice of my fellow citizens, to exercise 
the office of commander-in-chief of the army of the republic. I was 
far from my native land when intelligence of this renewed confidence, 
and of these new obligations imposed upon me by my country, 
was brought to me, and I saw the imminent dangers which sur- 
rounded her on all sides, and which formed the chief motive for 
calling me to the head of the army. I now see a terrible contest 
with a perfidious and daring enemy impending over her, in which 
the Mexican republic must reconquer the insignia of her glory, and' 
a fortunate issue if victorious, or disappear from the face of the earth 
if so unfortunate as to be defeated. I also see a treacherous faction 
raising its head from her bosom, which in calling up a form of 
government detested by the united nation, provokes a preferable sub- 
mission to foreign dominion ; and I behold at last, that after much 
vacillation, that nation is resolved to establish her riglit to act for 
herself, and to arrange such a form of government as best suits her 
wishes. 

All this I have observed, and turned a lisKMiing ear to the cry of 
my desolated country, satisfied that she really needed my weak ser- 
vices at so important a period. Hence I have come without hesita- 
tion or delay to place myself, in subji'ction to lier will, and, desirous 
to be perfectly understood upon reaching my native soil I gave a full 
and public expression of my sentiments and principles, 'i'lie recep- 
tion wliich they met convinced me that I had not deceived myself. 



(JKNHRAL TAYLOR AT MONTHIiKY. 105 

and I am now the more confirmed in them, not iVom having given 
them more consideration, bnl because they have found a general echo 
in the hearts of my fellow citizens. 

I come tlien to carry my views into operation, and in compliance 
with the mandate of my country. She calls me as commander-in- 
chief of the army, and in that capacity I stand ready to serve. The 
enemy occupies our harbors — he is despoiling us of the richest of 
our territories, and threatens us with his domination. I go then to 
the head of the Mexican army, an army the offspring of a free 
people — and joined with it I will fulfd my utmost duty in opposing 
the enemy of my country. I will die fighting, or lead the valiant 
Mexicans to the enjoyment of a triumph to which they are alike en- 
titled by justice, l>y their warlike character, and by the dignity and 
enthusiasm which they have preserved of a free nation. The war 
is a necessity of immediate importance ; every day's delay is an age 
of infamy ; I cannot recede from the position which the nation has 
assigned me ; I must go forward unless I would draw upon myself 
the censure due to ingratitude for the favors with which I have been 
overwhelmed by my fellow citizens; or, unless I would behold her 
humbled, and suffering under a perpetuation of her misfortunes. 

Your excellency will at once perceive Iiow great an error I should 
commit in assuming the supreme magistracy, when my duty calls 
me to tlie field to fight ii^ainst the enemies of the republic. 

I should disgrace myself if, when called to the point of danger I 
should spring to that of power ! Neither my loyalty nor my honor 
requires the abandonment of interests so dear to me. The single 
motive of my heart is to olfer my compatriots the sacrifice of that 
blood which yet runs in my veins. I wish them to know that I 
consecrate myself entirely to their service, as a soldier ought to do, 
and am only further desirous to be permitted to point out the course 
by which Mexico may attain the rank to which her destinies call 
her. 

In marcliiiig against liie enemy, and declining to accept of power, 
I give a proof of the sincerity of my sentiments ; leaving the nation 
her own mistress, at liberty to dispose of herself as she sees fit. The 
elections for members of congress to form the constitution which the 
people wish to adopt, are proceeding. That congress will now soon 



166 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

convene, and while I shall be engaged hi the conflict, in armed de- 
fence of her independence, the nation will place such safeguards around 
her liberties as may best suit herself. 

If I should permit myself for a single moment to take the reins of 
government, the sincerity of my promises will be rendered question 
able, and no confidence could be placed in them. 

I am resolved that they shall not be falsified, for in their redemp- 
tion I behold the general good, as well as my honor as a Mexican and 
a soldier: I cannot abandon this position. The existing government 
has pursued a course with which the nation has shown itself content, 
and I have no desire to subvert it by taking its place. I feel abun- 
dant pleasure in remaining where I am, and flatter myself that the 
nation will applaud my choice. I shall joyfully accept such tasks 
as she shall continue to impose upon me ; and while she is engaged 
in promoting the objects of civilization, I will brave every da-ger in 
supporting its benefit even at the cost of ray existence. 

Will your excellency have the goodness to tender to the supreme 
government my sincere thanks for their kindness ? I will personally 
repeat them to-morrow, for which purpose I propose to call at the 
palace. I shall there embrace my friends, and hastily pressing them 
to my heart bid them a tender farewell, and set out for the scene of 
war, to lend my aid to serve my country, or to perish among the 
ruins. 

I beg to continue to your excellency assurances of my continued 
and especial esteem. 

Antonio Lopez de Saxta Anna. 

On the morning of the 15th the new dictator entered the capital 
amid the wildest demonstrations of popular entliusiasm. The people 
regarded him as their saviour, perfectly ij^vhicible in battle, and 
manifested the most unbounded attachment and veneration to his 
person, and his health w^as universally drank in full flowing cups. 

He immediately commenced arranging a plan of extensive opera- 
tions to raise money and forces for die conduct of the war. Previous 
to tliis, the following decrees had been circulated by General Salas 
in every part of Mexico, with a view of furthering the same object: 

Decrees (in substance) of August 28. — 1. Declaring that all 
Mexicans between tlte ages of eighteen and fifty years were under 



GKXERAL TAYLOR AT MONTERKY. 



167 




Mexicans Drinking Santa Anna's Ilealtli. 

obligations to take up arms in defence of their country, whenever re- 
quired to do so. 

2. Declaring free from import duty for one year, the importation 
into any part of the republic, as well as the sale in it, of muskets, 
carbines, sabres, brass and iron cannon, with gun carriages, and in 
general, every species of warlike arms and projectiles ; and declaring 
that the government will purchase such quantity of the arms and 
projectiles referred to, as it may require, and at such prices as mav 
be agreed upon by the importer or holders. 

3. Declaring an extraordinary contingent of 30,000 men, to be 
contributed by the several stales. 

4. Givinir pardon to all who may have deserted from the regular 
army, provided that they give themselves up within three months, 
and permitting them to serve in such corps as they may select. 

Decree of AuguU 3 Is/, issued through the department of state. 
Declaring that all officers in civil or military employment, who shall 
refuse, without good cause in the opinion of the government, to 
render such services as may be required of them during the war in 
which the republic is at present engaged, shall be dismissed from 



168 LIFE OF GExNERAL TAYLOR. 

their employments, and declared incapable of being employed here- 
after as military officers ; being liable, moreover, to the punishment 
already provided by law for such offences as they may have com- 
mitted. 

The people hailed these decrees with enthusiasm, and troops 
and provisions poured into San Luis so abundantly that the Dictator 
soon found himself at the head of nearly twenty thousand men. 
" The magazines of powder," says a Mexican paper, " and the 
stores of balls and other missiles, are said to exceed belief. Every 
piece of iron that could be found, is converted into pikes or other 
deadly weapons. In one storehouse alone there are two hundred 
mechanics working day and night, mounting guns and manufactur- 
ing munitions of war. There are five hundred more at work on 
the fortifications, which are being strengthened in everj'^ possible man- 
ner. One thousand women, filled with enthusiasm in the national 
cause, had come down to the camp from San Diego and Tlascala to 
aid in making articles for the soldiers, and working on the fortifica- 
tions. In one store there has been sold sixteen thousand daggers, 
bought by the country people, both men and women. In every 
direction we see them making lances, sharpening swords, and fixing 
fire-arms and other warlike arrangements." 

As we have stated. General Taylor remained for some time inac- 
tive at Monterey ; but upon learning the approach of a formidable 
Mexican army, he fortified himself more securely, and made every 
preparation for the expected visit. The enemy, however, not 
appearing, and there being the most pressing necessity for active 
operations, the General formed the bold plan of penetrating further 
into the enemy's country, and fighting him, if possilile, on his own 
ground. 

On the 15th of December, the American nimy loft Monterey, 
and proceeded toward Victoria, near which General Taylor expected 
to find a Mexican force under General Urrea. On the 17th, he was 
joined by the second regiment of infantry, and the second Tennes- 
see regiment of foot, who had marched from Camargo. At Mate- 
morelos he received news from General Worth, that an attack by 
Santa Anna was daily expected at Saltillo ; he, therefore, fell back 



J 



GENERAL TAYLOR AT MOX'I'EREY. IG'J 

on Monterey, after having dcspatciieii General (iiiilman witli a field 
battery to join General Patterson at Sallillo. 

General Wool now arrived at that place with reinforcements, 
and the enemy retired toward San Luis Potosi. General Taylor 
received intelligence of these movements while on his march to 
Saltillo, and immediately resuming his original plan, reached Vic- 
toria on the 30ih. 

While at this place the General received the following letter from 
^L^j or- General Scott, written before the latter set out for Mexico ; 
its object is explained by die terms. 

Nkw York, Nov. 25, 1846. 

Mv Dkar General : — I left Washington late in the day yester- 
day, and expect to embark for New Orleans the 30th instant. By 
the 1 2th of December I may be in that city, at Point Isabel the 
17ih, and Camargo, say the 23d, in order to be within easy corres- 
ponding distance from you. It is not probable that I may be able 
to visit Monterey, and circumstances may prevent your coming^ to 
me. I shall much regret not having an early opportunity of felici- 
tating you in person, upon your many brilliant achievements ; but 
we may meet somewhere in the interior of Mexico. 

I am not coming, my dear General, to supersede you in the im- 
mediate command, on the line of operations, rendered illustrious by 
you and your gallant army. My proposed theatre is diflerent. You 
may imagine it ; and I wish very much that it were prudent, at 
this distance, to tell you all I expect to attempt, or hope to execute. 
I have been admonished that despatches have been lost, and I have no 
special messenger at hand. Your imagination will be aided by the 
letters of the Secretary of War, conveyed by Mr. Armistead, Major 
Graham, and Mr. McLanc. 

But, my dear General, I shall be obliged to take from you most 
of the gallant ofTicers and men, (regulars and volunteers,) whom you 
have so long and so nobly commanded. I am afraid that I shall 
by imperious necessity — the approach of yellow fever on the Gulf 
coast — reduce you for a while to stand on the defensive. This will 
be infinitely painful to you, and for that reason distressing to me. 
But I rely upon your patriotism to submit to the temporary sacrifice 
with cheerfulness. No man can better afford to do so. Recent 
22 



170 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

victories place you on that high eminence ; and I even flatter myself 
that any benefit that may result to me personally from the unequal 
division of troops alluded to, will lessen die pain of your consequent 
inactivity. 

You will be aware of the recent call for nine regiments of new 
volunteers, including one of Texas horse. The President may 
soon ask for many more, and we are not without hope that congress 
may add ten or twelve to the regular establishment. These by the 
spring, say April, may by the aid of large bounties, be in the field, 
should Mexico not earlier propose terms of accommodation ; and long 
before the spring (March) it is probable you will be again in force, 
to resume offensive operations. 

It was not possible for me to find time to write from Washington, 
as I much desired, I only received an intimation to hold myself in 
preparation for Mexico, on the 18th instant. Much has been done 
towards that end, and more remains to be executed. 

Your detailed report of the operations at Monterey, and reply to 
the Secretary's despatchby Lieutenant Armistead, were both received, 
two days after I was instructed to proceed south. 
In haste, I remain, my dear General, 
Yours, faithfully, 

WiNFiELD Scott. • 

Major-General Z. Tatloii, 
U. S. Army, commanding, &c. 

General Scott had been appointed by government to supersede 
General Taylor in the command of the army of occupation ; and 
the troops required above, were designed to co-operate with a land 
and sea force, shordy to attack the city of Vera Cruz, and tlie Cas- 
tle of San Juan D'UUoa. 

General Taylor was thus deprived of the services of General 
Worth,* and of nearly all those troops whom he Iftud led through 

• Among those who left General Taylor at this time, was Gexeral Wm. 
J. WoHTH, who had acted so brilliant a part at Monterey. He was born in 
New York, and had early the benefits of a good education. When quite 
young he was engaged as clerk in a mercantile house in Albany ; but pos- 
sessing a passion for military operations he entered the army in the commence- 
ment of the war with Great Britain, and through the influence of General 
Scott, he was appointed as first lieutenant of the t\venty-third infantry, on the 
19th of March, 1813. 



GKXKRAL TVYI.OR AT MOXTKRHV 



71 



so many dangers and privations, and whose veteran brows were 
surrounded with laurels leathered at Resara de la Palnia, Mata- 
moras, and Monterey. The parting must have been affecting ; and 
the address of the old hero proves that he felt it to be : — 

" It is with deep sensibility that the commanding general finds 
himself separated from the troops he so long commanded. To 




General Taylor taking leave of the Veferans. 



those corps, regular and volunteer, who have shared witli him the 
active services of the field, he feels the attachment due to such 
associations, while to those who are making their first campaign, 
he must cxi)ress his regret tliat lie cannot partifipalc with them in 

At the sanguinary hattlo of Chippewa, Worth was aid to General Scott, and 
bore his full share iii its tolls and dangers. He was oft;-n in the very hottest of 
the nngagenient, and is mentioned with distinction in the olficial report of Gen- 
eral Brown, the commanding olficcr. His service was rewarded by govern- 
ment, and he received a commission as captain on the 5th of July, 1814, " for 
his gallant and distinguished conduct on the .5th of July, in the battle of Chip- 
pewa." 

The next important affair in which Worth was engaged, was the battle of 
Niagara. In this he behaved with the same coolness and bravery which had 



172 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

its eventful scenes. To all, both officers and men, he extends his 
heart-felt wishes for their continued success and happiness, confi- 

distinguisheil him at Chippewa, and hke his friend General Scott, he received 
so severe a wound as to disable him from participating in the events which fol- 
lowed the battle. He was reward.-d hy a second brevet, dated on the 25th of 
July, and promoting him to the rank of major. 

At the close of the war, Major Worth was appointed military instructor in 
the Military Academy at West Point, the difficult duties of which station he 
performed with judj;ment and general satisfaction. He was made a brevet 
lieutenant-colonel 25th July, 1824, major of ordnance in 1832, and on the 
7th of July, 1838, colonel of the eighth regiment of infantry. 

Like so many brave officers of that time, Colonel Worth was ordered to Flo- 
rida to participate in the war against the Seminoles. Notwithstanding that 
this country was one of the most unfavorable for the exercise of high military 
abilities, Worth soon compelled several parties of the Indians to surrender ; 
and on the 19th of April, 1812, he fought the battle of Palaklaklaha, with a 
large detachment of Indians, whom he defeated, and subsequently obliged to 
surrender. This battle closes his active duties in Florida. He had been ap- 
pointed brevet brigadier-general on the 1st of March, 1842. 

When Taylor was ordered to Corpus Christi, General Worth joined the 
army with him, and when the Americans reached the Rio Grande, he planted 
with his own hand, the national flag on the river, within one hundred and 
fifty yards of the Mexican batteries. Some unfortunate circumstance having 
happened, concerning military etiquette, d'eneral Worth deemed it his duty 
to resign. This he did, however, in terms highly honorable to himself, as a 
soldier and patriot, assuring the commander, that although he had little fear of 
open hostilities with Mexico, yet should such occur, he would rejoice to have his 
resignation withdrawn. His letter concludes as follows : — " If there is any 
form or manner, in which out of authority, I can serve you, it is hardjy 
necessary to say, with what alacrity I shall be always at your command. At 
the earliest moment when you feel assured that no conflict is at hand, or in 
prospective, I shall be much gratified by being allowed to retire, and not be- 
fore." 

General Taylor replied to him in a highly delicate and characteristic man- 
ner, and General Worth returned to the United States. Here news of the 
investment of General Taylor and of the events preceding the battles of the 
8th and 9th, disa])pointed his fond hope of peace, and he determined immedi- 
ately to rejoin the army. This intention was communicated to Adjut;int-Gen- 
eral Jones in the following letter, dated May 9th, 6 o'clock, p. >r. : 

"Siii: — Reliable information which I have this moment received from the 
hcad-(juarters of the army in front of Matamoras. makes it not only my duty 
but accords with my inclination to request permission to withdraw my resigna- 
tion, and that I be itrdcrvd or permitted forthwith to return to, and take com- 
mand of, the troops from which I was separated on the 7th of April, by order 
No. 43, army of occupation, &:c. &c. &c." 

The request of the General was granted, and he was ordered to proceed 
immediately to the seat of war. He lefl Washington on the 11th of May, 
and arrived at the camp in time to participate in the capture of Matamoras. 
His subsequent career is given in the text. 

It is one great proof of the talents of tliis able soldier, that instead of hastily 



GKNKRAT- TAYLOR AT MOXTKRKV. 



dent that their ncliievcmciits on another tliea'.rr will redound to the 
credit of their country and its arms." 

pushing his troops into danger in order to make up for his late inactivity, he 
has ever displayed the utmost judgment and regard for their safety. At the bril- 
liant assault oil the Bislmp's Palace at Monterey, and more latterly at Vera 
Cruz, he has won for himself the character of an otiicer, to whom in danger his 
country may look with roiilideiice. 

By the last advices General Worth hud, in (ompany with General Scott, 
advanced to the pass of Rio Frio, en route for the city of Mexico. There is 
little doulit that we shall soon hear that he l.as again distinguished himself 
under his old patron. 





CHAPTER X. 



N consequence of the withdrawal 
of his forces by General Scott, 
General Taylor was obliged to fall 
back upon Monterey, where he 
remained until February. In that 
inontli he received reinforcements, 
and immediately determined to 
inarch at all hazards, towards Santa 
Anna's position. Accordingly he 
■ft Monterey at the head of five 
thousand four hundred men, and 
on the 20th of February, was at 
below Sahillo. Here he received 
intelligence that Santa Anna was then but tliirty miles distant, and 
174 




BATTLE OF BUKNA VISTA. 175 

rapidly advancing. He, therefore, left Agua Nueva, and took up 
a strong position at Buena Vista, seven miles below Saltillo. 

The excellence of this station, as a battle ground, had been 
remarked by General Taylor, when passing it on his previous 
march, and the wisdom evinced in its choice has been a theme of 
universal admiration. The face of the country is every way adapted 
to interrupt the progress of an enemy's cavalry, and to diminish 
the advantages of a superiority in numbers. The mountains rise 
on either side of an irregular and broken valley, about three miles 
in width, dotted over willi lulls and ridges, and scarred with broad 
and winding ravines. 'I'he main road lies along the course of an 
"arroyo," the bed of which is so deep as to foiTn an almost im- 
passable barrier, while the other side is bounded by precipitous 
elevations, stretching perpendicularly toward the mountains, and 
separated by broad gullies until they mingle with one at the princi- 
pal base. Of course such a road is almost impracticable for artil- 
lery, and, in fine, for any satisfactory movements of a large army. 

On the morning of the 22d, General Taylor was advised that 
the enemy were in sight, advancing. They had left Encarnacion 
at 1 1 o'clock, on the day previous, and had driven in a mounted 
force left at Agua Nueva, to cover the removal of public stores. 
The American order of battle had been previously arranged. Cap- 
tain Washington's battery (fourth artillery) was posted to command 
the road, while the first and third Illinois regiments, under Colo- 
nels Hardin and Bissell, each eight companies, and the second 
Kentucky regiment, under Colonel McKee, occupied the crests of 
the ridges on the left and in the rear. The Arkansas and Kentucky 
regiments of cavalry, commanded by Colonels Yell and H, Marshall, 
occupied the extreme left, near the base of the mountain, while the 
Indiana brigade, under Brigadier-General Lane, the Mississippi rifle- 
men, under Colonel Davis, the squadrons of die first and second 
dnigoons, under Captain Steen and Lieutenant-Colonel May, and 
the light batteries of Captains Sherman and Bnigg, (third artillerv-,) 
were held in reserve. 

At 1 1 o'clock, Surgeon-General Lindenbury, of the Mexican 
array, arrived at the head-quarters of the Americans, bearing a 



176 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

white fl;^ and a communicalion from Santa Anna. The latter was 
a summons to surrender, which we annex, together with the reply. 

[translation.] 
Summons of General Santa An?ia io General Taylor. 

You are surrounded by twenty thousand men, and cannot, in any 
human probabiUty, avoiil suffering a rout and being cut to pieces by 
our troops ; but as you deserve consideration and particular esteem, 
I wish to save you from a catastrophe, and for that purpose give 
you this notice, in order that you may surrender at discretion, under 
the assurance that you will be treated with the consideration belong- 
ing to the Mexican character, to which end you will be granted an 
hour's time, to make up your mind, to commence from the moment 
when my flag of truce arrives in your camp. 

With this view I assure you of my particular consideration. 

God and liberty ! Camp at Encantada, February 22d, 1847. 
Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. 

To General Z. Tatlor, Commanding forces of the U. S. 

Head QiAnTEiis, Atimt of GccrpATiox, 
Near Buena Vis/a, February 22d, 1847. 

Sir : — In reply to your note of this date, summoning me to sur- 
render my forces at discretion, I beg leave to say that I decline 
acceding to your request. 

With high respect I am, sir. 

Your obedient servant, 

Z. Taylor, 

Major-Giiieral U. S. A. commanding. 
Senor Gen. D. Antoxio Lopez de Santa Axxa, 
Commander-in-chief La Encantada. 

Before dark a number of the enemy's infantry had ascended the 
mountains on the left, from wliich, at the distance of three hundred 
yards, they opened a heavy fire upon Colonel Marshall's regiment. 
This was returned by two of his companies which were dismounted 
for tliat purpose, and the skirmishing continued until after dark. In 
this slight afl'ray three of the Americans were slightly wounded. 
While it was going on, three pieces of Captain Washington's battery 



nATTI^E OF BUENA VISTA. 177 

h;ul hvcn drlaclied lo llie K ft, and were siipportod by the second 
Indiana regiment. A shell was oceasionally thrown by the enemy 
into this part of the line, but without producing any effect. It was 
now evident that no serious attack would be made before morning, 
and accordingly General Taylor returned to Saltillo with the Missis- 
sippi cavalry and regiment of dragoons. In order, however, to be 
prepared for an attack at any moment, the troops wore ordered to 
bivouack without Cwo^, and sleep upon their arms. 

A body of cavalry, nunil)ering at least fifteen hundred, had been 
observed all day hovering in the rear of Saltillo, having entered the 
valley through a narrow pass east of the city. The intention of this 
cavalry was unknown, but it had probably been thrown behind the 
American army to break up and harass its expected retreat, and if 
practicable, to make an attack upon the town. Ample measures had 
been taken to thwart the enemy should they attempt the latter pro- 
ject. The city was occupied by three excellent companies of 
IlUnois volunteers, under Major Warren, of the first regiment, and a 
field-work which commanded most of the approaches was garrisoned 
by Captain Webster's* company, first artillery, and armed with two 
twenty-four pound howitzers, while the train and head-quarters 
camp was guarded by two companies of Mississippi riflemen under 
Captain Rodgers, and a field-piece commanded by Captain Shover, 
third artillery. General Taylor himself passed the night in the city, 
and did not reach die field of liattle until the following morning, when 
the engagement had been for some time commenced. 

The morning of the 23d was beautiful, and for a little while it 
seemed as though nature had divested her sons of the disposition or 
capability of inflicting injury. The wild ravines of the rocks hung 
with dense forests, and frowning for the return of day, aflforded relief 
to the little hills and clumps of chapparal which were scattered in 
every direction ; while a confused prospect of deep gorges, tangled 
foliage, irregular valleys, and in the distance the quiet, solemn moun- 
tains, all blended into one indistinct picture by the approaching 
twilight, lent to the whole an appearance of romance. But as the 
sun approached the horizon, the morning rendered visible the extended 

• Captain Webster is a son of the distmguisheil American statesman, and a 
regular graduate of West Point Academy. 
23 



178 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

lines and while tents of two opposing armies, and soon the blast of 
the war trumpet, the beating of drums, and the trembling of the 
ground beneath the tread of armed thousands, announced that the 
antagonists were preparing for other scenes than an admiration of the 
beauties of nature. Mexico and her hostile sister were about to 
meet as they never had before. There had been the opening of the 
drama at Palo Alto and La Palma, and the battling of fierce experience 
at Monterey ; but they were but the preparations for the grand dis- 
play which, under the favorite generals of both nations, was now to 
be exhibited on the plains of Buena Vista. 

During the evening and night of the 22d, detachments of the 
enemy had been observed stealing toward the station where had been 
the firing of the preceding day. These ditTerent parties had united, 
and taken up a position on the mountain side, with the intention of 
outflanking the American left wing. They were mosdy light troops, 
and altogether destitute of artillery. While they were manosuvering, 
the Americans captured a Mexican soldier, who reported the force 
of Santa Anna to be six thousand cavalry and fifteen thousand in- 
fantry, with fifteen pieces of artillery, including some twenty-four 
pounders. This confirmed the statement of that General himself in 
his summons to surrender, and fully justified the prevalent behef that 
the coming battle would be obstinate and bloody. 

Early on the morning of the 23d, the action was opened by a fire 
of the Mexicans upon the American extreme left. During the night 
they had so stationed a twelve pounder on a point at the base of the 
mountain, that it could be made to command any position which the 
Americans might take, and the quick, heavy discliarges from this 
piece, showed that they knew the importance of tlieir advantage, and 
were determined to improve it. 

These discharges were received and answered by the riflemen 
under Colonel Marshall, who had been previously reinforced by 
three companies under Major Trail, of tlie second llhnois volunteers. 
Though engaged with a much superior force, these troops maintained 
their ground with spirit and eflect, returning die fire of the light 
troops with great coolness. 

Meanwliile Lieutenant O'Brien of tlie fourdi artillery, accompanied 
by Lieutenant Bryan of the topographical engineers, was detached 



BATTLE OF UUENA VISTA. 179 

with three pieces of Washington's battery lo counteract the cflect of 
the Mexican field piece. A few well (hrected shots accompHshcd 
tlie end ; but llieir firing was after a little while renewed. 

The attention of the army was now directed to a movement of the 
enemy on the left of its line, where for some time they had been 
concentrating a large force of both infantry and cavalry. As the 
object of this movement was to crush the left wing, the batteries of 
Sherman and Bragg were immediately ordered to that station ; 
Colonel Bissell's regiment occupied a position between them, while 
Colonel McKee's Kentuckians were transfered from the right, so as 
to hold a position near the centre. At the same time the second 
Indiana regiment under Colonel Bowles, was placed on the extreme 
left, nearly perpendicular to the direction of the line, so as to oppose, 
by a direct tire, the flank movement of the enemy. The whole of 
these, with the forces before engaged on the left, were under the 
command of Brigadier-General Lane. 

Meanwhile the whole body of the enemy had formed, and were 
bearing down toward the American line. As the whole train moved 
in slow procession, both horses and men clothed in splendid armor, 
and their swords and polished lances glittering in the morning sun, 
they presented a spectacle at once noble and impressive. At the 
same time the Americans were not idle, but watched coolly the ap- 
proach of the host, with whom tliey were soon to be engaged in 
mortal conflict; and Lane even ordered the artillery and second 
Indiana regiment forward, in order to bring them within efltctive range. 
Tlie artillery of both armies now commenced rapid discharges upon 
the opposing ranks, while at the same moment the Mexican infantry 
poured a wide sheet of fire ui)on the whole line from the left, to 
McKee's regiment. This was answered by the Kentucky riflemen 
under McKce, Clay and Fry, and the uninterrupted roar of fire-arms, 
and shouts of the combaUints announced that the action on the left 
had become general. Tiie American artillery was now within musket 
range of the Mexican infantry, into which it poured a most destruc- 
tive fire, but without being able to check their approach. During 
the whole attack the second Illinois regiment was exposed to the 
hottest of the fire, which it sustained with admirable firmness ; and 
the main body of Colonel Hardin's regiment having moved to the 



180 



LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 




ight of the Kentuckians, the representatives ol each state seeiiied-to 
rie with each other in doing llie best service to their country. 

Meanwhile the enemy's cavalry had been steaUhily pursuing their 
kvay along the mountain, and though the artillery had wrought great 
^avoc in their masses, yet the leading columns passed the extreme 
points of danger, and were concentrating their forces for a charge 
upon the American rear. At this moment when tlie utmost effort 
of every available force seemed essential to the least chance of a suc- 
cessful resistance, the Indiana regiment who were stationed to sup- 
port tlie artillery turned upon its proper front, and commenced a 
disorderly retreat. Colonel Bowles immediately dashed forward to 
arrest their progress ; but all his efforts were vain, and they con- 
tinued their flight until beyond range of battle. Several officers of 
General Taylor's staff immediately galloped off to rally them if 
possible. Major Dix of tlie pay department (formerly seventh in- 



BATTLE OF BUE\A VISTA. 181 

faiitry) was tlie first to reach the deserters ; and seizing the regimental 
colors, displayed them to tlie men with an appeal to their honor as 
soldiers ; he was answered by loud cheers, and a portion of the 
regiment immediately rallied round him, and was reformed by the 
officers. The major then led them toward the enemy, bearing the 
standard until one of the men volunteered to carry it. The party 
then returned to the field, and though not in time to repair the dis- 
aster which their flight had occasioned, yet they afterwards retrieved 
in some degree their military lumor.* 

The sight of this disgraceful retreat filled the enemy with exulta- 
tion. To their imagination, it was but a prelude to the flight of the 
whole army, and wild shouts of triumph rose above the explosion 
of artillery and the din of battle. Their troops poured on by thou- 

* Some difference of opinion has lately been manifested, with regard to the 
causes of the behaviour of this regiment. A court martial held upon the con- 
duct of Colonel Bowles, is said to have established the fact, that the troops did 
not retreat until ordered to do so by that officer. He is said to deserve the 
whole censure of the mo%'ement, notwithstanding the commendation he received 
in the despatches of other ofTicers. 

In the olFicial despatch of General Wool, (March 4th,) is the following 
paragraph — " I shall attempt to make no apology for their retreat ; but I desire 
to call your attention to one fact connected with this affair. They remained in 
their position, in line, receiving the fire of three thousand or four thousand 
infantri/ in front, exposed at the same time on the left fiank, to a most des- 
perate raking fire from the enemy's battery, posted within point blank shot, 
until they had deliberately discharged twenty rounds of cartridges at the 
enemy. 

" Some excuse may be framed for those who retired for a few minutes, and then 
immediately rallied and fought during the day ; but unless they hasten to retrieve 
their reputations, disgrace must forever hang around the names of those who 
refused to return ; and I regret to say there were a few of those, from nearly 
every volunteer corpse engaged." 

General Taylor thus speaks of this affair in his official of March 6th: — 
" The second Indiana regiment could not be rallied, and took no further part 
in the action, except a handful of men, who under its gallant colonel. Bowles, 
joined tlie Mississippi regiment, and did good sernce, and those fugitives who, 
at a later part of the day assisted in defending the train and depot at Buena 
Vista." 

A correspondent of the New Orleans Delta who was in the battle, has the 
f)llowing item. "Finding that his men faltered early in the action. Colonel 
Bowles withdrew from them in disgust, and joined the Mississippi regiment in 
the thickest of the fight." It is also stated that on the following day when the 
colonel accidentally passed tliat regiment, they arose and presented anus in 
testim'iiiy of their esteem for his valor. 

As further evidence upon this subject, see the general orders of the American 
commander at the close of this account of the battle. 



182 



LIFE OF GENERAL 'J'AYLOK. 



sands, discharging not only small arms and artillery in front, but 
cross fires of grape and canister from their battery on the left. Against 
so tremendous a chaise Captain O'Brien found it impossible to re- 
lain his position without support, but was not able to withdraw more 
than two of his pieces, all the horses and cannoneers of the third one 
being killed or disabled. At the same time Colonel Bissell's regi- 
ment, which had been joined by a section of Captain Sherman's 
battery, having become completely outflanked, and being entirely un- 
supported, was compelled to fall back. The enemy were now cer- 
tain of victory, and on every side continued to march dense masses 
of infantry and cavalry toward a station in rear of the Americans. 







General Tavlor at Buena Vista 



At this moment Gonoral Taylor arrived from Saltillo. 

The Mississippi regiment had been directed to the left, before 
reaching the position, and immediately, came into action with the 
Mexican infantry which had turned the American flank. Previously 
lo this the second Kentucky regiment, and a section of artillery under 
Captain Braiig, had been ordered from the right to reinforce the left, 
and arrived in a most seasonable moment. That regiment and a 
portion of the first Illinois under Colonel Hardin, came rapidly into 
action, drove back the enemy, and recovered a portion of the lost 



nVTTLH OF nUHNA VISTA. 183 

grouiul. 'Vhv balkries of SlicTiuaii and Br.\g<r did niiicli execution, 
not only in front, but particularly upon the masses which had gained 
the rear. Washington's battery on the right had also opened its 
fire, and the artillery now made the columns of the enemy to roll 
too and fro like ships upon the ocean. The action was at this time 
terrible. The battle raged along the entire line of both armies, caus- 
ing the voUies of artillery to reverberate through the mountains like 
the thunder of their own storms. Twenty-five thousand men were 
then engaged in a dark and fearful struggle for death or victory. 

The Mexican cavalry still pressed on the left, and threatened a 
charge upon the Mississippi riflemen, who, under Colonel Davis, 
had been ordered to support the Indiana regiment. The Colonel 
immediately threw his command into the form of a V, with the 
opening toward the enemy. In this position he firmly awaited the 
advance of the cavalry, who came dashing on at full speed. The 
Americans reserved their fire until they could take aim at the enemy's 
eyes, and then poured forth a volley from both lines, which broke 
the opposing ranks, overthrowing horse and rider in promiscuous 
slaughter.* This retarded but did not stop their progress, and in a 
little while they rallied for a renewed attack. 

• About this time a portion of the enemy's infantry had become detached from 
the main body and were sutTcring such terrible slaughter, that General Taylor 
thou:^ht i)ropcr to send Lieutenant Crittendonwith a flag of truce to the Mexican 
commander in order to demand their surrender. 

The Mexican olFiccr, pretendincj not to understand the character of his mis- 
sion, insisted that \\v should be blindfolded, according to the rules of war, and 
thus had the lieutenant carried into the camp of Santa Anna himself. This 
was a ruse to extricate the Mexican cavalry from their dangerous position, and 
pending this truce, they were all drawn otF by a diflerent road from that by 
which they had gained this position. 

Lieutenant Crittenden was conducted blindfolded to the tent of the Mexican gene- 
ral-in-chief, which he found a longdistance from the scene of action, and in a situa- 
tion wliich he thought the safest place he had been in during the whole day. Ashe 
approached JSanta Anna's tent, he was greeted with a most tremendous flourish 
of trumpets, which might have been heard a mile oil, but produced no very great 
terror in tlie mind of the Kentuckian. His blind was taken ofT, and he found 
himself in the jiresence of the famous Mexican chief, surrounded by a brilliant 
sUifl" of bedizened, gilded, and moustached ofllcers. Santa Anna apologized to 
the lieutenant for the act of his ofllcers in having him blindfolded, saying that 
so far from havinn; any desire to conceal his situation, he was desirous of exhibit- 
ing to General Taylor the utter folly of resisting so powerful an army as he had 
under his command. To which the lieutenant replied, that liLs simi)le message 
was to demand his [Santa Aima's] immediate surrender to General Taylor. 



184 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

In the meanwhile tlie third Indiana resfimenl under Colonel Lane, 
supported by a considerable body of horse, was ordered to join 
Colonel Davis. At the same time Lieutenant Kilburn with a piece 
of Captain Bragg's artillery, was directed to support the infantry 
there engaged. The action now recommenced wnlh redoubled vigor, 
and every inch of ground was contested with obstinacy. Several 
charges were made by the enemy, both with cavalry and infantry, 
but they were resolutely met, and the Mexicans repulsed with heavy 
loss. Meanwhile all the regular cavalry and Captain Pike's squa- 
dron of Arkansas horse, had been placed under the orders of brevet 
Lieutenant-Colonel May, with directions to hold in check the enemy's 
column, which was still advancing to the rear along the base of the 
mountain ; and this he effected in conjunction with the Kentucky 
and Arkansas cavalry, under Colonels Marshall and Yell. 

Meanwhile the left, which was still strongly tlireatened by a supe- 
rior force, w'as further strengthened by a detachment of Captain 

When this extraordinary demand was translated to the Mexican, he raised his 
hands and eyebrows in utter astonishment at the temerity and presumption of 
such a message, and repUed, that he would expect General Taylor to surrender 
in an hour, or he would destroy all his forces. Lieutenant Crittenden's reply, 
which we have already given — " General Taylor never surrenders .'" — termi- 
nated the interview, and the battle recommenced, and was continued until night. 

In connection with this affair, the following humorous anecdote is related of 
Colonel May. He was on the very eve of charging the detachment with his 
dragoons, when Lieutenant Crittenden passed with his white (lag. The colonel 
rode out across the path and inquired the object of the mission. " I am going," 
replied Crittenden, "to tell those fellows to surrender in order to save their lives." 
" \\'ait till I have charged them." " Impossible ; the old man has sent me, and 
I must go on." " But my good fellow," said May, entreatingly, ''for Goers 
sake Just rein up for Jive minutes and give us a chance at them." " \\'ould 
do any thing to oblige you, colonel, but I have the old man's orders, and there 
is no help for it." 

He dashed forward, while the colonel returned to his squadron in the worst 
of all possible humors against y/ai,'.y of truce. — N. 0. Bulletin. 

Colonel May had been manceuvring for an hour and a half to bring these 6000 
Mexicans into a ravine where thoy might have been utterly destroyed. It was 
his intention to pour in a discharge of grape shot from Bragg's batten,-, which 
was under his command, and then having thus thrown them into confusion, to 
charge them with two regiments of dragoons. They would have been annihi- 
lated. As it was, they escaped. General Taylor's motive was undoubtedly 
pure humanity — a desire to spare the unnecessar)- elTusion of blooil. The reader 
will observe the high compliment paid by the general to the military talents of 
Colonel May, by supposing that if he should attack this body of Mexicans, their 
utter destruction, annihilation, was a matter of dead certainty. 



B.vrrLi: ok buEiNA vista. 185 

Bragg's, and a portion of Captain Sliorman's battorics. The con- 
centration of artillery lire upon tlic masses of the enemy at the base 
of the moimtain, and the determined resistance ofiercd by the two 
regiments opposed to them, had created confusion in their ranks, and 
some of the corps attempted to cll'ect a retreat upon their main Hne 
of battle. In order to prevent this the squadron of the first dragoons 
under Lieutenant Rucker was ordered up the deep ravine which 
they were endeavoring to cross, with orders to charge and disperse 
them. The lieutenant proceeded to the point indicated ; but being 
exposed to a heavy fire from a battery established to cover the re- 
treat of those corps, he could not accomplish his object. 

While this was going on, the American baggage train was ob- 
served winding along the Saltillo road. At sight of it the lancers 
formed, evidenUy with the design of making aa attack upon a part 
of the army likely to offer but little resistance ; but at this important 
moment Lieutenant Rucker rushed along, giving them a sweeping 
fire, which scattered a part of them with the loss of many killed and 
wounded. Lieutenant-Colonel May with two pieces of Sherman's 
battery, under Lieutenant Reynolds, was also ordered to defend the 
hacienda of Buena Vista, where the train and baggage of the army 
were deposited. Li the mean time the scattered forces near the ha- 
cienda, composed in part of the commands of Majors Trail and 
German, had pardy organized under Major Monroe, chief of artil- 
lery, with the assistance of Major Morrison, volunteer staff, and 
were posted to defend the position. Before the American cavalry 
had reached the hacienda, that of the enemy had made an attack. 
The latter were far more numerous than their antagonists ; but their 
fierce charge was successfully resisted by the Kentucky and Ar- 
kansas cavalry under Colonels Marshall and Yell. In the conflict 
the Mexican column was divided, one portion sweeping by the depot 
where it received a destructive fire from the force collected there, 
and then gained a mountain opposite under a fire from Lieutenant 
Reynolds's section. The second portion gained the base of the moun- 
tain on the left. In the charge at Buena Vista, Colonel Yell and 
Adjutant Vaughan, of the Kentucky cavalry, were mortally wounded. 
They were officers of much promise.* 

• Colonel Yell was bom in Kentucky in 1797, and with his father's family 
•24 



1S6 lif;-: of general taylor. 

May's dragoons, with a squadron of Arkansas cavalry under 
Captain Pike, supported by a piece of artillery under Reynolds, now 
encountered the lancers, who had once more rallied ; but this shock 
threw their whole rank into confusion, and drove them back toward 
the mountain with immense loss. 

The chances of victory seemed now with the Americans, and t!ie 
position of that portion of the Mexican army which had gained the 
rear, was so critical as to render it doubtful ; whether it would be 
able to rejoin the main body. At this moment a Mexican officer 
reached General Taylor, bearing a white fl;ig, and slated in a most 
courteous manner that " he had been sent by his excellency General 
Santa Anna, to his excellency General Taylor, to inquire in the 
most respectful manner, what he was waiting for."* Although this 
was believed to be merely a ruse, for the purpose of gaining time, 
the American commander thought proper to notice it. Accord- 
ingly Brigadier-General Wool was despatched to the Mexican com- 

early emigrated to Tennessee. In 1813, being then but sixteen years of age, ho 
enlisted at his country's call, and rushed to the side of the immortal Jackson. 
After assisting in the taking of Pensacola, he accompanied his brigade to New 
Orleans, and there on the ever memorable eighth, he distinguished himself for 
bravery and patriotism. In 1818, when volunteers were called for, for the 
Seminole war, Colonel Yell was among the first to offer his services; he raised 
a company and was chosen captain, and during the campaign it is said of him, 
"wherever the danger was greatest, there he was." Between that time and 
1827, when he was elected to the legislature of Tennessee, he finished his edu- 
cation, and was admitted to the practice of law. He was loved by (icneral 
Jackson for his many noble quahties, and received from him many evidences of 
his confidence. 

In '32 he was appointed receiver of public moneys, and removed to Arkan- 
sas, but soon after resigned. He was then appointed judge of one of the district 
courts of Arkansas, and was distinguished for iiis firmness and impartiahty — his 
quickness to perceive the right and to detect the wrong. When the state con- 
stitution was formed he was elected to Congress, and the people were well 
pleased with his services, continued him there until 1842, when he was chosen 
governor of the state by a large majority; but in 1844 he resigned, and again 
became a candidate for Congress. He was signally distinguished in the great 
canvass of '44, and was triumphantly elected. Tiic present war commenced, 
however, before his term of office expired, and with tlie true spirit of the soldier 
he returned to Arkansas and placed himself at the head of her patriotic volun- 
teers, and there in the hard fought field of Bucna Vista he offered up his life to 
his country. In him the nation, no less than Arkansas, has lost a bright orna- 
ment and a faithful and patriotic citizen. 

* It is reported that the general replied " that he was only waiting for 
General Santa Anna to surrender." 



DIAGllA]\r 

vf the Battle Ground nf 
BUENA VISTA, OR ANGOSTURA. 

Fought on the 22d and 23d of February, 1847. 




jff/r 







i 



*s^^^0' 



References. 



A. American Right. 

B. American Battery. 

C. American Lefu 
D Mexican Battery. 



189 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

mander, and orders issued to the army to cease firing. When Wool 
arrived at the enemy's Una they refused to cease their fire, and he 
was obhged to return without an interview. During the cessation 
on the part of the Americans, the enemy continued to retreat along 
the base of the mountain, and finally effected a junction with the re- 
mainder of the army. This had evidently been the object of die 
Mexican general in asking a truce — a manoeuvre as artful as it was 
successful. 

During the day, the cavalry of General IMinon had ascended the 
elevated plain above Sallillo, and occupied the road from the city to 
the field of battle, where they intercepted several American privates. 
On approaching the town, they were fired upon by Captain Webster 
from the redoubt occupied by his company, and then moved toward 
the eastern side of the valley, in the oblique direction of Buena Vista. 

At this time Captain Shover, supported by a miscellaneous com- 
mand of mounted volunteers, fired several shots at the cavalry with 
great eflect. They were driven into the ravines which lead to the 
lower valley, closely pursued by Captain Shover, who was further 
supported by one piece of Captain Webster's battery, under Lieutenant 
Donaldson, who had advanced from the redoubt, aided by Captain 
Wheeler's company of Illinois volunteers. The enemy made one 
or two efforts to charge the artillery, but were finally driven back in 
a confused mass, and did not reappear upon the plain. 

After the junction of the cavalry of Santa Anna with his main 
army, he determined to concentrate his forces for a general charge 
upon the American line. They came down in full strength, directing 
their whole efforts to the point where was the little company of 
artillery. Captain O'Brien with two pieces, met this heavy charge 
with the most admiral)le firmness; but his infantry support being 
entirely routed, he was at length obliged to leave his guns on the 
field and retire.* Captain Bragg, who had just arrived from the 

* The following extracts from the despatches of these two brave artillerists, 
will convey an idea of the obstinac}- of the conflict which they so nobly main- 
tained. 

" Tlie position of things now appeared very critical. If the enemy succeeded 
in forcing our position at this point, the. day was theirs. There was but one 
other [nece opposed to them, an i it was all iin]inrtant to maintain our ground 
until our artillery came round the r;iviiu'. from the plain on our loft, and joined 
us. 1 therefore determined to hold my post until the enemy reached the 



13.\Tri,i: OF nUKNA vista. 189 

left, was immecliately onltTcil into battery; and without any mfantrv 
to support liini, and at the imminent risk of losing his gims, that 
brave officer ruslied into action wiien the Mexican line was but a 
few yards from the muzzle of his guns. The moment was critical. 
Every eye was bent toward hiin,as the fierce lancers, rising in their 
stirrups, rushed at his little band. Suddenly that artillery which 
had so often scattered death amid their ranks, opened its tremendous 
fire. Then there was a pause in their progress, and scores of the 
dead and wounded sunk with one thrilling groan beneath the hoofs 
of their companions' chargers. The pause was but for a moment ; a 
command was given to advance, and they ol)eyed. But another dis- 
charge, and the next moment another, mowed them down by hundreds 
and threw their columns into disorder and defeat. The Mexicans 
were thoroughly routed ; and while their regiments and divisions 
were flying, nearly all the light troops were ordered forward, and 
followed them with a deadly fire, mingled with shouts which rose 
above the noise of Ijattle. In this charge the first Illinois regiment, 
and McKee's Kentuckians were foremost. Forgetting their deficiency 
of numbers in the ardour of pursuit, these troojjs pushed forward to 

muzzles of my guns. The firing from tlie section became more and more de- 
structive as the enemy advanced. It repelled a body of lancers, which was about 
chan2;in<j on the Illinois regiment. My own loss was severe. I had had two horses 
shot under me ; the one I was then on, was wounded and limping, and I had receiv- 
ed a wound in the leg. All my cannoneers except a few recruits who had joined 
so.Tie days before, were killed or disabled. In the midst of this heavy fire, with 
horses and men dropping around them, the few recruits who were fit for duty 
lost their presence of mind, and I found it impossible with all my elforts to keep 
them to tlieir guns. I remained with the pieces to the last, until the enemy came 
within a few yards of thcin, when I was forced to retire for want of a single 
cannoneer to load or fire. I was however delighted to find that I had maintained 
my ground sulBcicntly long, to cause the victory to be secured ; for at this 
moment, the rest of our artillery arrived and came into action." — Captain 
O'Brien s Report. 

" Having gained a point from which my guns could be used, I put them in 
battery, and loaded with canister. Now for the first time I felt the imminent 
peril in which we stood. Our infantry was routed, our advanced artillery ca[>- 
tured, and the enemy in heavy force coming upon us at a run. Feeling that 
the day depended upon the successful stand of our artillery, I appealed to the 
commanding general who was near, for support. None was to be had ; and 
under his instructions to maintain our position at every hazard, I returned to 
my battery, encouraged my men, and, when the enemy arrived within good 
range, poured forth the canister as rapidly as my guns could be loaded. At the 
first discharge, I observed the enemy falter, and in a short time, he was in lull 
retreat" — Captain Bragg s Report. 



190 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

a considerable distance beyond the battle line ; when the Mexicans 
wheeled around with almost magical quickness, and attacked them. 
For awhile the carn:ige was great on both sides ; but the Americans 
being but a handful in comparison with the dense masses that were 
hurled against them, were obliged to retreat. Thus the day again 
seemed lost ; but in this extremity, an appeal to the faithful weapon, 
which had never yet failed them, retrieved the victory. While the 
Americans were driven through the ravines, at the extremities of 
which a body of Mexican lancers was stationed to cut off their 
retreat. Brent and Whiting of Washington's battery, discharged upon 
the pursuers a torrent of grape shot, which overthrew vast numbers, 
and put the survivors to fliglit. This fire was most fortunate ; saving 
the weary remnant of those brave regiments, which had so long and 
ably sustained the hottest part of the fight. On the other flank the 
artillery was left unsupported, and while the legions of the enemy 
came rushing down, its capture seemed inevitable. But Bragg and 
Thomas, assisted by Bryan, O'Brien and Sherman, seemed to grow 
with the danger, and eclipsed even the fame they had won at Mon- 
terey. Every horse of O'Brien's battery was killed, and the enemy 
had advanced to within range of grape, sweeping all before them. 
But here their progress was arrested by a storm of iron hail, by 
whicli all their squadrons and battalions were broken and scattered. 
Though suffering immense loss, they succeeded however in capturing 
three pieces of artillery which were without horses. 'IMiis was the 
third occasion during the day, in which when all seemed lost but 
honor, the artillery by the ability with which, it was manoeuvred, rolled 
back the tide of success from the enemy, and saved the army. But it 
was attended with a heavy loss to the Americans. While fighting 
most gallantly at the head of their respective commands, Colonel 
Hardin of the first Illinois regiment, and Colonel McKee and Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Clay of the second Kentucky, were each mortally 
wounded. 

The battle had now raged with variable success for nearly ten 
hours, and after tlie last larnage, both parties seemed willing to pause 
upon the result. The approach of night gave the American general 
an opportunity to pay proper attention to the wounded, as also to 
refresh his soldiers, who were exhausted by excessive co bat and 



hattm: of buena vista. loi 

watchfulness. 'I'lioii;rh the ni^jhl was severely cold, most of the troops 
were compelled to bivouacU without fires, expecting that morning 
would renew the conflict. During the night the wounded were 
removed to Sallillo, and every preparation made to receive the enemy. 
Seven fresh companies were drawn from the town, and Brigadier- 
General Marshall witli a reinforcement of Kentucky cavalry, and 
four heavy guns, under Captain Prentiss, first artillery, was near at 
hand, when it was discovered that the enemy had abandoned their 
position during the night. Scouts were sent after them, who soon 
ascertained that they had fallen back, upon Agua Nueva. The great 
disparity of numbers, and the exhaustion of the troops, rendered it 
inexpedient ;md hazardous in the American commander to attempt a 
pursuit. A staff-oflicer was despatched to Santa Anna, to negotiate 
an exchange of prisoners, which was satisfactorily completed the 
next day. The dead were collected and buried ; and the Mexican 
wounded, of which a large number had been left upon the field, were 
removed to Sallillo, and rendered as comfortable as circumstances 
would permit. 

The force engaged in this battle, together with other items, we 
give in General Taylor's own words.* 

" The American force engaged in the action of Buena Vista, is 
shown by the accompanying field report, to have been 33-1 officers, and 
4,425 men, exclusive of the small command left in and near Saltillo. 
Of this number, two squadrons of cavalry and three batteries of light 
artillery, making not more than 453 men, composed the only force 
of regular troops. The strength of the Mexican army is stated by 
General Santa Anna in his summons to be 20,000 ; and that estimate 
is confirmed by all the information since obtained. Our loss is 
267 killed, 45G wounded, and 23 missing. Of the numerous 
wounded, many did not require removal to the hospital, and it is 
hoped that a comparatively small number will be permanently dis- 
abled. The Mexican loss in killed and wounded, may be fairly 
estimated at 1500, and will probably reach 2000. At least 500 of 
their killed were left upon the field of batde. We have no means of 
ascertaining the number of deserters and dispersed men from their 
ranks, but it is known to be very great. 

* Official report of Buena Vista, March Gth, 1847. 



192 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

Our loss has been especially severe in officers, twenty-eight having 
been killed upon the field. We have to lament the death of Captain 
George Lincoln, assistant adjutant-general, serving in the staff of 
General Wool — a yoiing officer of high bearing and approved 
gallantry, who fell early in the action. No loss falls more heavily 
upon the army in the field, than that of Colonels Hardin, and McKee, 
and Lieutenant-Colonel Clay. Possessing in a remarkable degree 
the confidence of their commands, and the last two, havmg enjoyed 
the advantage of a military education, I had looked particularly to 
them for support, in case we met the enemy. I need not say that 
their zeal in engaging the enemy, and the cool and steadfast courage 
with which they maintained their positions during the day, fully 
realized my hopes, and caused me to feel yet more sensibly their 
untimely loss. 

I perform a grateful duty in bringing to the notice of the govern- 
ment, the general good conduct of the troops. Exposed for succes- 
sive nights witliout fires, to the severity of the weather, they were 
ever prompt and cheerful in the discharge of every duty, and finally 
displayed conspicuous steadiness and gallantry, in repulsing at great 
odds a disciplined foe. While the brilliant success achieved by their 
arms, releases me from the painful necessity of specifying many cases 
of bad conduct before the enemy ; I feel an increased obligation to 
mention particular corps and officers, whose skill, coolness and 
gallantry, and under a continued and heavy fire, seem to merit par- 
ticular notice. 

To Brigadier-General AVool, my obligations are especially due. 
The high state of discipline and instruction of several of the volunteer 
regiments, was attained under his command, and to his vigilance 
and arduous service before the action, and his gallantry and activity 
on the field, a large share of our success may justly be attributed. 
During most of the engagement, he was in immediate command of 
the troops thrown back on our loft flank. I benf leave to recommend 
him to the favourable notice of government *^ 

* Joiix E. Wool was born in Orange county, New York, l>nt when a child 
he lost his father, and romoveti to Rensselaer county, the residence of his grand- 
father. While still young, he wa.s placed in a store in the city of Troy, where 
he conducted himself with so much energy and faithfulness, as afterwards to 
become a partner in the business. For several years he pursued the w:cupation 



liATTLK OF HUHXA VISTA. 



193 




Taylor and General Wool. 



of a merchant with great success ; but a fire occurring at the end of that time, he 
was again reduced to penury. The war of 1812 was now on the eve of com- 
mencing, and young Wool determined to enter the army. He was commissioned 
as captain of the 13th U. S. Infantry, on the 14th of April 1812, and the same 
year, so far distingushed himself at Queenstown Heights, that in 1813 he was 
promoted to tlie rank of major in the 29th infantry regiment. 

In the stirring events attending the siege of Plattsburg, in 1814, he was intrust- 
ed with a separate command, and won the admiration of his superiors, and the high 
recommendation of General Macomb, the commanding officer. For his services 
in this affair, government promoted him to the brevet rank of lieutenant-colonel, 
dating from the llth of September 1814. After the close of the war, he was 
intrusted with various military duties. Government was not unmindful of his 
merit, and on the 27th of April 181fi, he was created inspector-general, with 
the rank of colonel ; on April 29th, 1826, brevet brigadier-general, and on June 
29th, 1841, full brigadier-general. 

In Mexico, General Wool was intrusted with a part of the army, called the 
Central Division, which he led by a most fatiguing route, and joined General 
Taylor after the storming of Monterey. His services in the battle of Buena 
Vista have been given; he led the main army in jierson, and no man was 
more instrumental in gaining the victory of that action. Connected with the 
battle, a pleasing anecdote is related of the two generals, .\fter the last charge 
of the -Mexicans, Wool enthusiastically embraced the old general, and in 



194 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

Brigadier-General Lane (slightly wounded) was active and zealous 
throughout the day, and displayed great coolness and gallantry before 
the enemy. 

The ser^'ices of die light artillery, always conspicuous, were more 
than usually distinguished. Moving rapidly over the roughest 
ground, it was always in action at the right place, and the right time, 
and its well directed fire dealt destruction in the masses of the enemy.* 

The Mississippi riflemen under Colonel Davis, were highly con- 
spicuous for their gallantry and steadiness, and sustained throughout 
the engagement the reputation of veteran troops. Brought into action 
against an immensely superior force, they maintained themselves 
for a long time unsupported, and with heavy loss, and held an im- 
portant part of the field until reinforced. Colonel Davis though 
severely wounded, remained in the saddle until the close of the action. 
His distinguished coolness and gallantry at the head of his regiment 
on this day, entitle him to the particular notice of the government. 
The third Indiana regiment under Colonel Lane, and a fragment of 
the second under Colonel Bowles, were associated with the Missis- 
sippi regiment, during the greater portion of the day, and acquitted 
themselves creditably in repulsing the attempts of the enemy, to 
break that portion of our line. The Kentucky cavalry under Colonel 
Marshall, rendered good service dismounted, acting as light troops on 
our left, and afterward with a portion of the Arkansas regiment, in 
meeting and dispersing the column of cav.ilry at Buena Vista. The 
first and second Illinois, and the second Kentucky regiments, served 
immediately under my eye, and I bear a willing testimony to their 
excellent conduct throughout the day. The spirit and gallantry, with 
which the first Illinois and second Kentucky eng;iged the enemy in 
the morning, restored confidence to that part of the field, while the 
list of casualties will show how much these three regiments suffered, 
in sustaining the heavy charge of the enemy in the afternoon. 
Captain Conner's company of Texan volunteers, attached to the 

the proud overflowinRS of triumph, congratulated him upon the victoiy. " Ah 
General" replied Rough and Keady, " ifn impossible to whip us luhen we 
alt pull toget/ie}-." 

* Here follows a list of the names of artillery officers who were conspicuous 
in the battle, but as we have given most of them in the detailed account, they 
are omitted. 



i 



n\TTT,E OF BTTENA VISTA. 



195 




"N 



Death of Colonel Clay. 

second Illinois regiment, fought bravely, its captain being wounded, 
and two subalterns killed. Colonel Bissell, the only surviving colonel 
of tlicse regiments, merits notice for his coolness and bravery on this . 
occasion." 

The General also speaks in high terms of the medical officers, 
and the members of General Wool's staff and of his own. 

The death of the many distinguished olTicers who fell in this battle, 
is thus described by one who shared their trials and dangers : 

" Our officers were always in the advance leading their troops; 
hence the great mortality among them. One of our small regiments 
of four hundred men, would be attacked by a whole Mexican bri- 
gade of several thousand. Thus the Kentucky infantry was attacked 
at tlie foot of a hill, in a deep ravine, by an immense force of the 
enemy. 

A large number of officers was killed here ; among them was 
Colonel McKee, wlio fell badly wounded, and was immediately 



196 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

despatched by the enemy, who pierced him with their bayonets, 
as he lay on the ground, Lieutenant-Colonel Clay was shot 
through the thigh, and being unable to walk, was taken up and 
carried some distance, by some of his men, but owing to the steep- 
ness of the hill, the men finding it very difTicult to carry him, and 
the enemy in great numbers pressing upon them, the gallant lieu- 
tenant-colonel begged them to leave him and take care of themselves. 
Forced to leave him on the field, the last that was seen of this 
noble young officer, he was lying on his back, fighting with his 
sword, the enemy, who were stabbing him with their bayonets.* 
The veteran. Captain William S. WiUis, of the same regiment, at 
the head of his company, with three stalwart sons, who fought at 
his side, was badly wounded, but still continued the fight, until he 
was overcome with the loss of blood. 

In the mean time the Indiana brigade diplaying some hesitation, 
Assistant Adjutant-General Lincoln rushed to their front, and whilst 
upbraiding them for their cowardice, was shot, several balls passing 
through his body. 

The intrepid Colonel Hardin, like Colonels McKee and Clay, 
was killed by the enemy — not, however, before he had killed one 
of them with a pistol, which he fired whilst lying on the ground. 

Colonel Yell led a charge of his mounted volunteers, against a. 

• Lieutenant-Colonel Hen-ht Clat was the second, and not tlie eldest son 
of the Hon. Henry Clay, as the papers represent. Mr. Clay's eldest son is 
Thomas H. Clay, Esq., who resides on a farm near Lexino^ton, Kentucky. 
Lieutenant-Colonel Clay was a graduate of West Point, where he took the 
first honors. He afterwards left the army, travelled in Europe, married, set- 
tled on a farm, and was several times elected to the Kentucky legislature, in 
which he always occupied an honorable station. Some years ago he lost his 
beautiful and accomplished wife, which caused great grief to her distingtiished 
father-in-law, who was at that time a senator in congress. When he was ap- 
pointed lieutenant-colonel of the Kentucky rifles, he was engaged in the prac- 
tice of the law in Louisville. He was a gentleman of fine intellect, accomplished 
manners, chivalrous character, and entirely worthy of his nohle sire. 

Lieutenant Edward M. Vai-ciian, adjutant of the Kentucky cavalr\-, who 
fell at Uuena Vista, was a native of Fayette county, in that state, and, as he 
once informed us, the son of the first female horn in the state. He was a 
talented member of the legal profession, and was engaged in practice at Lex- 
ington at the time he was elected adjutant of the Kentucky cavalry. He was 
a man of noble character, elevated principles, daring courage, and blameless 
life. 



nATTLK OF BUENA VISTA. 197 

large body of lancers, ami was killed by a lance, w hicli entered his 
mouth and tore oft' one side of his face."* 

These instances of the gallantry of our otficers, in sacrificing 
their lives, are but a very small part of the whole. As a general 
rule they were foremost in the charge ; and in many instances 
officers were killed thirty and even sixty yards in advance of their 
respective columns. With such commanders to lead them, it is not 
surprising that the men should have exhibited a degree of firmness 
hardly ever evinced before by militia in their first battle. If we 
recur to the history of the American revolution and the war of 1812, 
we shall find that militia men almost invariably recoiled at the 
first fire, and frequendy battles were lost by their want of firmness ; 
but in this battle the volunteers faltered in only a few instances, and 
that in the presence of an overwhelming force of the enemy, and 

• The New Orleans Delta, of March 24th, makes the following remarks on 
tills subject : 

The list of killed and wounded on the American side, in the bloody fight at 
Buena Vista, is a mournful proof of the ferocity and violence which charac- 
terized this severe conflict, and a sad testimonial of the chivalry and fearlessness 
of American soldierj-. Sixty-five commissioned officers killed and wounded in 
so small an army, exhibits a proportion and result unparalleled in the history 
of war. Estimating General Taylor's force at five thousand rank and file, and 
allowing one commissioned officer to t%venty men, the startUng conclusion is 
arrived at, that our loss in this sanguinary engagement, of commissioned officers, 
amounted to one-fourth of the whole number in the field. If the loss of the 
rank and file were in like proportion to that of officers, it would exceed twelve 
hundred. In view of such terrible results as these, Santa Anna approached as 
near the truth, melancholy as it is, as he ever did, when he said that both armies 
were cut up. The loss of the Mexicans can scarcely be exac^trerated irhen it 
is put down at finir thousand. Santa Anna must have had with him at least 
seventeen thousuiJ men. When we last heard from him previous to the battle, 
he was at San Fernando, waiting for all the various detachments of his army to 
assemble preparatory to his attack. This was on the 17th, and the attack was 
fixed for the 21st. Now, as Santa Anna knew exactly Taylor's situation and 
force, he would certainly not attack him until he had collected all his avail- 
able troops, and these we know, allowing for desertion and for a corps de reserve, 
could not have fallen short of seventeen thousand, as he left San Luis with 
twenty-three thousand. If, then, with such a force as this, aflcr a two days' hard 
fight, and after inflicting upon General Taylor so heavy a loss, he is compelled 
to withdraw twenty miles to the rear, the conclusion is inevitiiblc that he has 
sustained a prodigious loss, and is irretrievably beaten. The army of General 
Taylor may be considered as reduccil at least one-thir<l by casualties and by 
details to take care of the wounded. This would leave but about three thousand 
men to hold his position, and we know he did hold it for several days after the 
action undisturbed by the enemy. 



198 



LIFE OF GENERAL TA i LOR. 



after sustaining many vollies of musketry and grape shot. This 
result is due to the previous faithful discipline of General Wool 
and the other veterans who liad been for some mo'iths engaged in 
preparing the volunteers for service on the battle field. The severe 
discipline of General Wool was extremely unpalatable to the volun- 
teers before this battle took place ; but after the battle they were 
sensible that it was to this alone they owed their success ; and they 
formally thanked him for the disciphne of which they had previ- 
ously complained. 














LIKUTEXANT COLONEL C A. MAY, 
From a Diijpicrrcotipc by Viin I.oun 




Jlexicans Wounded 



; u e n a Vista. 



CHAPTER XL 
3^attle of 2$uetta V^lita, conttniieJ). 

HE following is Santa Anna's detailed 
report of the battle of Buena Vista : 

LlBKRATIXfJ An.MT OF THE REPrBLIC. 

Gen. in Chief, Campaii^n, Secretary's Office. 
Most Excellent Sir : — In my de- 
spatch from the battle field of Angostura, 
dated the 23d, I promised to give you 
details of the action of the 22d, and the 
battle of the 23d, so soon as I should 
effect the movement which our entire lack 
' " of water and of all supplies made indis- 

pensable. In those engagements the army and the nation have 

IQfl 




200 LIFE OF GENERAL TAVLOU. 

restored the lustre of their arms, by overcoming obstacles incon- 
ceivable to all, save those who witnessed them. These arose 
not only from the difficulties of this contest and of our own situa- 
tion, but also from the rigour of the season, and the exhaustion of 
the country, along an almost desert route of over fifty leagues, that 
was destitute of good water, and of all save die most limited sup- 
plies. 

The supreme government was informed by communications 
made before my leaving San Luis, that the army under my com- 
mand would not commence its operations till the end of winter, as 
I knew by experience the severe climate of the region, which was 
also scant of habitations, provisions, shelter, and even of fuel. I, 
therefore, resolved to go on organizing, drilling, arming, and clothing 
the army ; and in a word, to put into a military shape the forces 
which had just been assembled. My intentions, however, could not 
be maturely realized. 

The want of pecuniary resources embarrassed all my disposi- 
tions. The soldiers, though well disposed to combat with the enemy, 
had been badly supplied for a month, and would soon have been 
in want even of food, but that the exertions of the commanders of corps 
prevented that destitution from driving them to their ranks. While 
those meritorious men were suflering all kinds of privation, certafn 
writers from ignorance, want of reflection, party spirit, or, perhaps, 
from mistaken patriotism, were zealously engaged in thwarting tbe 
plans which might otherwise have proved successful. This diey 
did by unjust charges against die army, and particular individuals 
whom they abused for not marching to the conflict, accusing them 
of want of decision, and asserting that the position of tlie army 
at San Luis was more Uireatening to our liberties than to the enemy. 
In the clubs of diat capital they labored witb assiduity to make the 
army the instrument of a revolt ; but I frustrated their intrigues by 
timely steps. There was one writer who had the audacity to inti- 
mate that I was in collusion with the enemy. Yes, I, to whom they 
may attribute errors, but whose whole previous course has shown 
the most elevated patriotism ! 'IVaitors are they who seek not only 
to traduce me, but by their detraction of the army, to unnerve its 
vigour for the service of the country. It seems as if a fatality, directs 



BATTLE OF BUENA VISTA. 201 

the destinies of this nation, and interdicts a unanimity of the public 
will for its defence ; and from this fatal blindness, the moment whca 
every heart and every aspiration should be directed to one object, 
is the very juncture when division and distrust are disseminated. 
Behold me then, compelled by every circumstance to change my 
plans. Desertion had already commenced to a shameful extent ; 
and I was fully persuaded that if the scarcity should continue, the 
army would be dishonorably frittered away. I, therefore, resolved 
that if annihilated, it should be with glory. Having no supplies, 
I, to obtain them, compromitted my private fortune, and the credit 
of myself and friends. All this procured me the sum of one hun- 
dred and eighty thousand dollars, with which I was able to furnish 
the needful supphes to the army, for twelve days. I knew well 
the country we had to cross and the necessity there would be for 
carrying provisions : and I sympathized in anticipation with the 
soldier, for what he would endure from the rigour of the season ; 
but to render good service to the country and save its honor, I had 
to overlook all Uiis. 

The army moved from San Luis by brigades, so as to render 
available the scanty resources afforded by the country we were to 
cross. The force consisted of 13,432 infantry, divided into twenty- 
eight battalions ; 4,338 cavalry, in thirty-nine squadrons, and a 
train of artillery of three twenty-four pounders, three sixteen 
pounders, five twelve pounders, five eight pounders, and a sieven 
inch howitzer ; all served by four hundred and thirteen artillery 
men; the total being 18,133 men. Of this force there remained 
behind the garrison of the works at San Luis, and others which 1 
allotted to the towns on the route ; as also two squadrons to escort 
our small and only reserve of ammunition ; a brigade of infantry of 
two battalions, under General ('iriaco Vasquez, which remained as 
a corps of reserve, in Matehuala, and of observation upon Tula ; as 
also a brigade of cavalry, under General Don Jose Urrea. The 
latter was intended to pass Tula and move through Tamaulipas to 
the neighborhood of Monterey, so as to call the enemy's attention 
to that quarter. The point of concentration for the brigades ought 
necessarily to be near this place, so that in the region through 
which they had to move, many troops might not be at once thrown 
20 



202 lilFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

together. I therefore fixed on the hacienda of Encarnacion, for 
that point, it being, as I calculated, the last stage but one of my 
march. I there held a review of the army, wliich had already lost 
a thousand men, by sickness and desertion. The former was caused 
by the scantiness and bad quality of food, and still more of water, 
which was brackish as well as scarce, as also by snow storms and 
the exposure of the troops who had always been in bivouac and 
without fuel. These snow storms obliged me to suspend the march 
two days, till the weather became more settled ; for the cold had 
already caused the death of several men and horses, and I felt bound 
by every means to diminish the losses we were incurring. These 
hardships will account for the number of desertions which oc- 
curred up to our arrival at Encarnacion, and which afterwards even 
increased. It must also be remembered that almost the whole army 
had been recently formed, and as is well known, of men taken by 
violence from their homes. 

We had advices that the enemy were fortified in the haci- 
enda of Agua Nueva, with six thousand men and thirty pieces, 
resolved to defend the defiles known by the names of the passes 
of Carnero and Agua Nueva. The Americans did not know the 
precise point to which our march was directed, for though they 
exchanged some shots with our advance in Encarnacion, and had 
frequent small skirmishes with us in the above passes, they sup- 
posed our troops to be scouting parties of the first brigade of cavalry, 
under Don Jose V. Minon, whom I had advanced as far as the 
hacienda of Potosi. These were the impressions when I made 
my dispositions. 

It was my intention to place my forces between tlie enemy and 
Saltillo, so as to oblige him to fight under the disadvantage of having 
his communication cut off, or, if he would not leave his works, to 
enable me to besiege him in Agua Nueva. This plan might be 
carried out in three difTerent ways. One was by marching twenty 
leagues by the direct road, another by moving to tlie right by La 
Iledionda, so as to occupy Huena Vista; and the third by moving 
to the left by La Punta de Santa Elena, so as to occupy the haci- 
enda of La Banqueria, and thereafter the road to Saltillo. The two 
last movements were at this time impracticable, for they would 



I 



l]ATri,K OF HIEXA \ IS'I'A. 203 

either of them require three or four days' m:\rch, wliile we were 
without provisions, forage, or water. I, therefore, resolved to ope- 
rate by the direct road, force the positions, and after passing the last 
defile, make a diversion by the left and occupy the rancho of En- 
cantada, with the view of obtaining water, none of which was to be 
had for more than eighteen leagues. All this was favored by the 
enemy's ignorance of our march ; but misfortune still followed us. 
A deserter from the regiment of Coraceros, a native of Sallillo, 
named Francisco Valdes, passed over from Encarnacion to the enemy, 
and gave him information of the movement. The execrable treason 
of this infamous wretch, frustrated the best combinations. 

On, the 21st, at noon, I ordered the march to commence, the 
four light battalions, under General Don Pedro Ampudia, forming 
the vanguard. I had not hesitated to allow that general and other 
olhccrs who had b(>on court martialed for the affair of JNIonterey, to 
participate in these operations, not only because I did not consider 
tlicm culpable, but also on account of the zeal they manifested. 
Tliis brigade was followed by one of artillery, of sixteen pounders, 
with regiments of engineers and their train, and those by the park 
of the regiment of hussars. Then came the first division com- 
manded by General Don Manuel Lombardini, with four twelve 
pounders, and the park. The second division, under General Don 
Francisco Pacheco, followed next with four eight pounders and 
their park. After these the whole of the cavalry, under Don Ju- 
lian Juvera ; and then the remainder of the general park and bag- 
gage, the rear being covered by a brigade of cavalry, under General 
Don Manuel Audrade. 

In this order of march the troops were ordered to make the first 
fourteen le;igues, between Enccnada and a plain called Dela Guerra, 
which is in front of the first defile, called the pass of the Pinones ; 
and to pass the night on that plain in the same order of column. 
Tlie troops having eaten their rations, order was given for carry- 
ing water, as none could be met with till the day following, after 
having overcome die enemy at Agua Nueva, three leagues beyond 
the aforesaid pass. I, with my staff and a regiment of engineers, 
occupied the front, a little behind the light troops. On arriving on 
the plain De la Guerra, I continued the march in order to pass the 



204 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR, 

defile of Pinones, which was accomplished, and I ordered Uie light 
brigade to take a position in the pass of Carnero, where it had a 
skirmish with an advance of the enemy. Under these dispositions 
We passed the night. 

At dawn on the 22d, the army continued its march, with the idea 
of carrying by force of arms the pass of Agua Nueva, w'hich I sup- 
posed would be defended by the enemy ; but I found to my surprise 
that it was abandoned. I then concluded that the American forces, 
had retired to their fortifications in the hacienda, to concentrate their 
defence under covor of the intrenchments, which I had heard they 
had there thrown up. Under this idea I continued the march in 
order to turn by the right to the rancho of Encanlada, which, as I 
have before mentioned, is on the Saltillo road, being between that 
city and Agua Nueva, and four or five leagues from each. Till that 
time no one had appeared to give me information, nor did any one 
after, except a servant from Agua Nueva, who told me that the 
enemy had been evacuating his position since the day previous, and 
falling back towards Saltillo ; and that on that same morning, the 
hacienda had been wholly abandoned by the retreat of a small detach- 
ment which escorted a large quantity of munitions. By this move- 
ment my first plans and dispositions, founded on an expected 
resistance, were rendered abortive ; but I still did not despair of _ a 
successful result, for I had in anticipation, directed General Minon 
with his cavalry brigade 1200 strong, to occupy on the morning of 
the 22d, the hacienda of Buena Vista, distant three short leagues 
from Saltillo. This force might arrest the enemy's march, or, at 
least, make a diversion that would give time for the army to come 
up. I therefore continued my march without losing more time than 
would allow the soldiers to drink water on the road. Tiic light 
brigade came within siglit of the enemy's rear guard, and I ordered 
them to charge in conjunction with the hussar regiment. I had 
reason to believe the enemy were making a precipitate retreat, as 
they left several articles on the road, such as carls, forge implements, 
extra wheels and other things which we gathered while marching. 
In consequence of the difierent reports I received, I ordered the 
cavalry to advance ; 1 thought we would be able to reach tlieir rear 
guard, and placed myself at tlie head of those troops. 



BATTLE OF BUENA VISTA. 205 

On arriving at a place called Angostura, I foinul the main body of 
the enemy awaiting me in position. The road fron) the pass of 
Pinones to Sallillo runs between two chains of mountains, which 
form that pass and those of Carnero and Agua Nueva. The ridges 
open beyond that hacienda, and approach each other again at Angos- 
tura, where the road turns to the right. At this place there is a suc- 
cession of ridges, which run out toward the line of our route, and at 
right angles with it, and between them are ravines which form the 
drains of the mountains on the right. They are all more or less 
passable, but all very difficult. The enemy's position was in front 
and in rear of the road, his right and front being covered by ravines 
that were impassable, even for infantry, and a battery of four pieces 
being planted on the highest point. His battalions were formed on 
the heights, with two other batteries, one of which was in a low part 
of the road between two hills ; and, to my view, their forces appeared 
to be about 8000 men, with twenty pieces ; but the prisoners taken 
from them report twenty-six pieces, and upwards of 8000 combatants. 

1 reconnoitred the position and situation of the enemy, and 
ordered the director of engineers, General Don Ignacio de Mora y 
Villamil, to do the same. After ascertaining the force of the invader, 
it was necessary either to await the infantry to take position, or to 
fiojht, as might seem most advisable. At this interval I observed 
that the enemy had neglected to occupy a height on his left flank ; 
and without losing a moment I ordered General Ampudia's light 
brigade to take possession of, and hold it at every cost. As the 
brigade came up, I found them in two lines on a rising ground, that 
fronted the enemy, there l^eing another eminence between our two 
positions. The first division of infantry was under the command 
of (Tcncral IiOml)ardini, and ihe second under the command of 
(Jeueral Paclicco. I directed tliat General Mora y Villamil, in con- 
junction witli the commanding general of artillery, Don Antonio 
Corona, should iind a position for a battery of sixteen pounders, to 
be sustained bv the rouinicnl of engineers. Two other batteries of 
tvv-elve and eight pounders were located by me. The cavalry com- 
manded by General Juvera. were placed on the right of our rear, 
and on our left flank. The regiment of hussars was also posted in the 
rear, and on the flank aforesaid was a height, which I ordered the 



206 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

battalion of lieon to occupy. The general park was in the rear, 
covered by the brigade of General Andrade, and between this park 
and the lines of battle, I took my own position. 

The making of these dispositions, as may be supposed, occupied 
some time, for the troops arrived at tlieir positions after a march of 
more than twenty leagues. It was therefore not an hour for combat, 
and the army lay on its arms. The enemy, however, as soon as he per- 
ceived that we had occupied the height that flanked his left and our 
right, despatched two battalions to dislodge us, which le;l to a warm 
engagement, that lasted all the afternoon and till after dark, when he 
"was repulsed with the loss of 400 men, according to the report of the 
prisoners. Ours was much less, as we had the advantages, of the 
ground. 

At dawn, on the 23d, I mounted my horse ; tlic enemy had 
not changed his previous dispositions, and was ready to receive 
us. I observed but one difi'erence, which was that on his right, and 
at some distance from his position, he had formed two bodies of 
infantry, with a battery of four pieces, as if with the intent of threat- 
ening our left flank ; but I at once believed this to be a mere demon- 
stration, for he would never have left in his rear the diflicult 
ground which gave strength to that position, being the web of 
impassable ravines, before referred to. I therefore gave no atten- 
tion to this disposition of his forces, and resolved to move mine 
by the right. With this intention I advanced the divisions of Gen- 
eral Lombardini and General Pacheco, in that direction. I ordered 
General Don Manuel iMicheltoreno to plant the battery of eight 
pounders on our right flank, so as to rake obliquely the enemy's 
line, and to remain with die stafl" of which he was chief, and await 
my orders. I directed that General Ampudia, with the light brigade, 
should charge by our loft flank, on the enemy's right, and that Gen- 
eral Mora y Vilhimil should form a column of attack, composed of 
the regiment of engineers, the twelftli battalion, the /?/o de Mexico, 
and the companies of Puehla and Tampico, commanded by Colonel 
Don Santiago Blanco. At the same time I directed General Co- 
rona, commanding the artillery, to place die battery of twelve 
pounders in a more commanding position, while the diird division 



IIAITLK OF lUIKW VISTA. 207 

remained in reserve, under Iire\et CJeneral Don Jopc Maria Or- 
te<ro. 

As soon as the enemy perceived our movements he commenced 
the action at all points, attacked our troops with intrepidity, and 
inaintiiined tlie conflict with great vigor. Our men received them 
with proper energy, driving back and following up the assailants. 
At this time my horse was disabled by a grape shot, and it was 
some time before I could mount another. As the enemy had 
yielded ground, I ordered the cavalry to advance, and charge, 
which was done with vigor. Suitable orders had been sent to the 
generals of division and brigade, among the rest to General Don 
Angel Guzman ; but though the officers and troops acted with 
great resolution, it was impossible to overcome the difficulties of the 
ground ; and after a struggle which did them honor, they were obliged 
to fall back to their positions. After various alternations the same 
occurred with the infantry. 

The battle, which commenced at seven in the morning, was pro- 
longed for many hours, our loss every moment accumulating. 
Many officers and soldiers had been killed, and a number of com- 
manders and distinguished officers wounded ; among whom were 
General Lombardini, Lieutenant-Colonels Brito, Galloso, and others. 
Among the slain were Lieutenant-Colonels Asonos, Berra, and 
other meritorious officers, whose loss the country will ever lament. 
The enemy maintained his ground with the utmost obstinacy, inso- 
much that some of our troops faltered in their attacks, and many 
of the raw recruits dispersed. This, however, ought to exalt the 
merit of those whose intrepidity was never paralyzed, and may also 
be cited to show how hotly contested was the action. 

Things were in this situation when I concluded to make the 
final effort. With this view I ordered that a battery of twenty- 
four pounders should be mounted ; that the column of attack then 
posted on our left flank, where it had no object of operation, should 
be transferred to our right, and there be joined by the remains of 
the tenth regiment, the battalion of Leon, and the reserves, all 
under the command of Brevet General Don Francisco Perez. I 
executed this in person, and afterwards sent for General Mora y 
Villamil, and made him acquainted with my final dispositions. I 



308 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

had already directed Generals Perez and Pecheco, each with his 
command, to be prepared for an extreme struggle, and had ordered 
the battery of eight pounders to advance and take the enemy's line 
in flank. The charge was made witli daring valor, and was resisted 
with animated vigor, with a fire so heavy and rapid as to cause admi- 
ration. But the Americans could not sustain themselves, they were 
driven back and overcome, with the loss of three pieces of cannon 
and as many stands of colors. I sent two of the latter to the govern- 
ment with my last despatch ; the other, which I then omitted to 
notice, will be presented to the honorable congress of the state of 
San Luis Potosi, as a testimonial of the army's gratitude for the 
patriotic services they had rendered, and the generous sacrifices 
they had made for its benefit. We moreover captured a travelling 
forge, and some smaller articles which I will not enumerate. Our 
cavalry which so bravely executed tlie order to charge, reached 
the enemy's rearmost positions ; but owing to the nature of the 
ground, and the fatigue of the men and horses, I did not think it 
prudent to attempt to dislodge tliem from those. The battle 
closed at six in the evening, our troops being then formed on tlie 
ground which the Americans had occupied. Our last effort would 
have been decisive if General Minon iiad done his part by attack- 
ing the enemy in the rear; but he omitted to do it, and I am under 
the painful necessity of subjecting his conduct to a court martial, 
that he may explain it. 

An action thus contested necessarily involved considerable loss. 
Ours, in killed and wounded, amounted to more than fifteen hun- 
dred men, and that of the enemy was much greater, for we had 
time to take a view of the great number of their dead.* 

The army has done more than could be expected under the laws 
of nature. It had just been formed, and, as yet, had not acquired 
discipline or military habits ; yet, in marching to the combat it 
overcome difficulties which might have subdued the stoutest heart. 
After a march of twenty leagues, sixteen of them without water, 
and without food, except a single ration, which was dealt out 

• We ha\'e thought proper to omit the eulogies whieh the commander be- 
stows upon moet of his olHcers, a^ they are subjects of interest to no one but a 
Mexican. 



BATTLE OF BUENA VISTA. oqq 

at Encarnacion, it cndintcl the fatigue of combat for two days, and 
finally triumi)hetl. Witli all this its physical powers were ex- 
hausted. My knowledge of Uiis, and the duty I felt of attending 
to sucli a number of wounded, constrained mc after remaining a 
few hours on the field of batUe, to fall back upon Agua Nueva, for 
the relief and refreshment of the troops. 

From the impression we had made on the enemy, he did not ap- 
pear before us for three days. The bearer of a flag of truce, however, 
arrived with a proposition from General Taylor for an exchange of 
prisoners, and for our sending for the wounded who remained on the 
field. He also expressed to me the desire which the Americans 
felt for the re-establishment of peace. 1 replied, in order that he 
might say the same to his general, that we sustained the most sacred 
of causes — the defence of our territory, and the preservation of our 
nationality and rights ; that we were not the aggressors, and that our 
government had never offended that of the United States. I observed 
that we could say nothing of peace while the Americans were on 
this side of the Bravo, or occupied any part of the Mexican territory, 
or blockaded our ports ; end that we were resolved to perish or vin- 
dicate our rights ; that fortune might not be always favorable to the 
enemy, and their experience of the 22d and 23d should convince them 
that it could change. I added, that the Americans waged against us 
a war of vandalism, whose excesses outraged those sentiments of 
humanity, which one civilized nation ought to evince towards another ; 
and that if he would go outside of the apartment, he would still see 
smoking, which was the fact, the dwellings of Agua Nueva, re- 
cently a flourishing, though a small settlement ; that the same vestiges 
of desolation marked the route of his retreat; and that if he would go 
a little further on to Calana, he would hear the moans of the widows 
and orphans of innocent victims, wlio had been sacrificed without 
necessity. 

With respect to the wounded, whom I was invited to send for, I 
replied that there could be none, save those who had been too much 
hurt to rise from the field, or tliose most in the advance, who had re- 
mained in the ravines ; and that as I had not means for their convey- 
ance, the enemy might take them to S;diillo, under the protection of 
the laws of nations. As for the prisoners which he offered to ex- 
27 



2liJ LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

change, I told him I did not know who they could be, unless it were 
some of our dispersed troops, or some who, from the fatigue of the 
two previous days, had remained asleep wlien we moved. In answer 
to the courtesy the enemy's general had shown with respect to our 
wounded, I consented in the name of tlie nation to release all the pri- 
soners we had — those taken both in the batde and at Encarnacion. At 
the same time I allowed the bearer of the flag, who was a superior 
officer, of prepossessing appearance and manners, to take the bandage 
from his eyes, and informed him that it was for him personally, that 
the honor of this concession was meant. I did it also that he might 
see our camp and our troops. 

As I have said in the preceding paragraph, we remained at the 
hacienda three days ; but the only supply we could obtain was ninety 
beeves, and these were consumed on the 25th. The horses were also 
without forage, and notwithstanding all the efforts for provisions 
that I could make, many of the wounded had been but once attended 
to, and some not at all. From the rigor of the climate, the badness and 
scantiness of the sustenance, the entire want of bread, and the bad 
quality of the water used in our former bivouacs, a diarrhoea had 
broken out in the army, and rendered ineffective at least one half of 
it. I knew that a retrograde movement to our former positions had 
become inevitable ; but though every thing around me proclaimed this 
necessity, my feelings revolted against it, solely because I foresaw 
that from ignorance, mahce or presumption, die countermarch would 
be condemned, and that those who did not witness our situation 
would imagine the possibility of the army's continuing its operations. 

Six days before, when the troops had not suffered so much, nor 
fought for two successive days, nor been embarrassed with sick and 
wounded, but were still sound in morale and health, I had not 
deemed it prudent to augment the labors and difficulties of the army 
by moving to the right or to the left ; how then would it have been 
possible to go on operating after all that subsequendy occurred ? But 
let detractors say what they will, the anny as well as myself will 
always answer by an appeal to our conduct, our wishes, and the 
notorious impossibility of carrying them out. Notwidistanding my 
conviction, I wished to hear the opinion of the generals and some of 
the commanders of corps, and to ascertain if they could point out any 



BATTLE OF BUENA VISTA. 211 

resource which h;ul not occurred to me. Without disclosing my 
own ideas on the subject, I hstened to theirs, and they all unani- 
mously, and each one by his opinion separately expressed, showed 
and demonstrated in various ways, that however good their will to 
remain, the countermarch of the army had become indispensable, but 
that this necessity was not forced upon us by the enemy. It was 
not till I had heard their opinions, that I announced my own accord- 
ant resolution, and the proceedings of the council being drawn up, 
I had the honor of remitting them to your excellency on the 25th. 

On the 26th, after I had ordered General Minon to follow tlie 
movement, the army commenced its retreat, with a view of occupy- 
ing the first peopled localities where resources might be obtained, 
such as Vanegas, Catorce, El Cadral and Matehuala, as also Tula ; 
but I doubt if in those places proper attention can be given to the 
sick and wounded ; or the losses we have sustained in those labo- 
rious movements be remedied. 

The nation for which a triumph has been gained at the cost of so 
many sufferings, will learn that if we were able to conquer in the 
midst of so many embarrassments, there will be no doubt as to our 
final success in the struggle we sustain, if every spirit but rallies to 
the one sacred object of common defence. A more determined body 
of men, will not as many imagine suffice for the prosecution of war ; 
it is indispensable that they be armed, equipped, disciplined and 
habituated, and that a systematized support for such an organized 
force be provided. We must bear in mind that we have to combat 
in a region deficient of all resources, and that every thing for sub- 
sistence has to be carried along with the soldiery. The good will of 
a few will not suffice, but the co-operation of all is needed ; and if we 
do not cast aside selfish interests and petty passions, we can expect 
nothing but disaster. The army and myself who have led it, have 
the satisfaction of knowing that we have demonstrated this truth. 

Your excellency will be pleased to report to his excellency the 
vice-president of the republic, and to present to him my assurance 
of respect. 

God and I>il)erty ! Rancho de San Salvador, February 27th, 1847. 
(Signed) Antomo Lopez de Santa A.nna. 

To his Excellency the Mi.visteh of War ahb Mabim. 



212 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

As every thing relating to the battle of Buena Vista, must be inter- 
esting to the reader, we subjoin some extracts from Mexican private 
letters, which soon obtained publicity, and were disseminated through- 
out every province of Mexico, 

" We have taken the fortifications of the enemy and four of his 
positions, which he defended with obstinacy, and every height and 
every ravine, of which he furiously disputed. We have lost many 
field and oilier officers, out of proportion to the number of soldiers, and 
we have taken from tlie enemy two flags and three pieces of artil- 
lery. There are very few prisoners — four, I believe — the rest are 
dead. 

Our troops are perishing from hunger and thirst. They have 
not drank water in two days, and have eaten nothing since the day 
they were at Encarnacion, and a slice of roasted meat at la Vaca. 

I am much afraid lest this cause should disperse us to-night, 
since the soldiers are already scattering; and we have seen bodies 
of them fighting and charging upon the enemy wherever they thought 
there was water, caring for notliing ; and we have seen them dis- 
puting among themselves, totally indifierentto the fire of the enemy, 
for a piece of ham, found upon the dead Yankees. This night is 
a fearful one for the republic, since I dread lest we should become 
disbanded. In conclusion, dear friend, there now remains but little- 
to be done, because we have been pursuing the enemy all day long, 
with the bayonet, and to-morrow they will be finished. They killed 
the horse of the general-in-chief with a grape shot." 

Postcript, dated 24th. — "Since closing my letter, the general-in- 
chief has ordered the army to Agua Nueva, where there are some 

cattle and water — water, which is before every thing else 

We have lost about a thousand men, and many officers killed and 
wounded, and our Lombardini among the rest." 

From a letter, Feb. 2ilh. — " We have gained a bloody battle, 
and taken from the enemy standards and artillery. They have 
come to demand a peace, and they liave been answered by the gen- 
eral-in-chief, that ' until the whole republic is evacuated by them he 
will not listen to them.' " 

Private letter, Feb, 23d. — " We are returning from Angostura, 
where we beat Taylor all day yesterday, taking from them many 



DATTLE OF lUE.NA VISTA. 213 

points among iho lioiglits, almost inaoccs>iblc, and doing so repeat- 
edly, iinlil our troops remained at night estal)lishcd in tlie position 
from wliieh we had driven them by main force. We took from 
lliem three guns and killed many of their troops 

To-day a Hiig of truce has come in from Taylor, asking peace. 
D. Antonio commanded the eyes of the officer to be unbandagcd, 
that he might see our camp, and that if we had countermarched it 
was for want of supplies, and not for want of courage." 

Upon the reception of Santa Anna's letter, the governor of San 
Luis Potosi issued the following proclamation to the inhabitants of 
Mexico. Both the style and sentiment of this document render it 
a curiosity. 

governor's address. 

Fellow Countrymkn : — Our army under the orders of his ex- 
cellency Buenmerito de la Patria, Don Antonio Lopez de Santa 
Anna, with heroic valor, overcoming the afflictions of the most fright- 
ful suffering, struggling against the nature of the ground, and even 
nature herself, which appeared to dispute the victory with us. Our 
army has severely punished our common enemy on the 22d and 
23d instants. It has covered itself with glory. Its illustrious 
commander has given new fame to his country ; he has reconquered 
its independence, so perfidiously and vilely menaced. The pride 
of the North Americans has been humiliated, and our army has 
restored the national honor, outraged at Resaca and Monterey. The 
repul)lic commences to-day an advance which will make it respected 
abroad, and which will bear it on without doubt to that immortality 
destined for free and independent nations. Our immense territory 
usurped by this vile and detested horde, will be restored to us intact ; 
not a single vile foot-print shall dare pollute our soil, and the hero, 
llie genius, the man whom Heaven has bestowed upon us as a 
precious gift, and the afflictions of the country will very soon com- 
plete the sublime enterprise which he has commenced. Union, 
fellow-countrymen ! Eternal jrratitude to the illustrious renowned 
and well deserving President, General Don Antonio Lopez de Santa 
Anna, and the invincible army which is fighting under his orders, 
in defence of our dearest interests. Ramon Adamo. 

San Luis Potosi.Feb, 27, 1847. 



214 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

Concernino; the merits of this battle, we subjoin the remarks of 
a gentleman in Mexico, one who seems to have the ability to weigh 
calmly and impartially all the circumstances connected with it. 

" I have not the least doubt that the battle of ' Buena Vista' is con- 
sidered by many, if not the greater portion of the people of the 
United Slates, as an affair of no very great importance in these war- 
like times, but that it was a matter of every day occurrence, and, 
therefore, not much to be admired or wondered at. 

In order that these persons may be undeceived, 1 hope I shall be 
able to show, from a few facts which I have gathered within the 
last four months, connected with this subject, (having had some 
considerable knowledge of the Mexican character before,) that it 
was an affair of some little consequence, and of rather vital import- 
ance to the people as well as the government of the United States ; 
that such a fandango as that is not got up every day in the year, if 
we are at war with Mexico. 

In the first place. General Santa Anna, after the defeat of Ampu- 
dia at Monterey, assembled and organized a large army at San Luis 
Potosi, and every one will agree with me, when I say tliat this 
force was so large that Mexico could ill afford to support it in a 
state of total inactivity. It was evidently for some purpose. That 
Santa Anna intended it to hold possession of Tampico is not at all 
probable, as that place was abandoned witliout a struggle. That he 
intended it for the defence of Vera Cruz is likewise highly impro- 
bable, for the only communication between San Luis and Vera Cruz 
is by way of the city of Mexico, a distance of over five hundred 
miles ; and if intended for that service, in all human probability it 
would have been concentrated at some more convenient point. 

The city of Mexico itself, as a matter of course, needed no de- 
fence, for it certainly was safe so long as the Mexicans held pos- 
session of Vera Cruz. Where then did Santa Anna intend to 
operate with the army of tliirty thousand men which had been 
raised at such an expense, and the very subsistence of which amounted 
to thousands of dollars daily ! Was it supposed that he would 
remain quietly at San Luis Potosi with this mammoth force until 
attacked ? — at what period he did not know, nor was it in the power 
of any human being to inform him. A man of known energy of 



BATTLE OF BUENA VISTA. 215 

character like Saula Anna, woulil be the last person to set himself 
down in a position that would make him the laughing stock of the 
whole world, as well as his own nation. It was, tlierefore, reduced 
almost to a certainty, that he had some scheme in view, some Her- 
culean task, by whicli he hoped by a single l)low, to regain all that 
Mexico had lost, and at the same time compel mankind to acknow- 
ledge him one of the first military chieftains of the age. I think I 
shall be able to show that this was his plan ; and if I succeed I 
shall claim no credit to myself, for, as I said before, I only intend 
to state a few facts. 

Many things occurred as early as the 25th of November last to 
prove to my mind that something of the kind (above alluded to) was 
on foot as early as that period. Intimations to that effect were 
made to me by friendly Mexicans of standing and respectability. 
At tiie same time they said, if tliey should go into detail and tell all 
they knew, they would endanger their own necks. Since the defeat 
of Santa Anna at Buena Vista, and the consequent failure of his 
campaign, (which was for the recovery of the valley of the Rio del 
None, and the total extermination of every thing American from 
this part of Mexico,) these men speak out fearlessly ; for, notwith- 
standing they love their country, they despis'e their rulers. 

As early as tlie 25th of November, I say, Santa Anna commenced 
his operations ; to show that I am not far from correct, I beg leave 
to refer to the letter of Lieutenant Abert, topographical engineer, to 
show that Santa Fe was included, as well as the lower part of the 
Rio Grande, that, notwithstanding there seems to have been a screw 
loose as regards the low country, the Santa Feans played their part, 
and commenced operations on the day appointed. Santa Anna's 
troops were to be employed in this way : — A portion of them were 
to occupy Victoria, to form a nucleus around which the militia of the 
country in that vicinity and Matamoras might rally. Another force 
was to occupy Cadareita and China, to form another nucleus for the 
rancheros between Camargo, Luredo, and the mountains. 

Secret circulars were sent to the alcaldes of the dilferent towns, 
calling on them for every man that could possibly be spared, with in- 
structions to equip them as well as they could, saying at the same time 
that, if they had not fire-arms, they must arm tlieiu witli long knives. 



216 LIFK OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

spears, and every warlike weapon their imaginations could devise. 
Santa Anna was to advance from San Luis and atLick the Americans 
at their most advanced position, with a force that could not be re- 
sisted ; was to drive them or compel them to surrender, and if they 
attempted to retreat, his reserve force, (stationed as before described) 
was to fall upon and cut them to pieces in their flight. The 25th 
of December was the great day appointed. 

All the powers of the church were called into requisition to aid 
in the laudable and patriotic enterprise. Masses were said in the 
churches, the aid of Divine Providence was invoked, and all the 
sinews of the nation were to be put forth for the rescue of their 
beloved country. From all these causes, success was looked upon 
as certain. But when the people reflected that the " great Santa 
Anna" was at the helm, they looked upon defeat as a matter of total 
impossibihty. The only reason I have heard assigned for Santa 
Anna's not carrying out his plan on the day appointed, is the one 
assigned by a Mexican captain, taken prisoner at Buena Vista, viz : 
" that General Taylor had all his veteran regulars within striking 
distance of Siiltillo ;" that " General Santa Anna did not consider 
himself equal to the task," notwithstanding the authorities at the city 
of Mexico were goading him on ; and some of his officers, who had 
not yet seen the American elephant, actually charged him with 
"cowardice." 

I have not the least doubt that this was the real cause for his not 
advancing at the time specified. But what must have been his de- 
light and agreeable surprise when tiie withdrawal of nearly all General 
Taylor's regulars with two or three batteries of artillery, was an- 
nounced to him at San Luis ! Well may he have said, " It is not 
true — It cannot be possible ! tliere must be some mistake !" And 
not until he was oflicially notified by the Mexican authorities at Sal- 
tillo would he believe a word of it. Fresh couriers were sent in all 
directions through the valley of the Rio Grande, announcing to the 
people this ridiculous story, that the "American general had become 
alarmed at hearing there were thirty tliousand troops at San Luis, 
and had consequendy withdrawn all the regulars, and had left tlie 
volunteers, on account of their barbarity to the inhabitants, to be 
sacrificed." You will be surprised when I tell you tliat even this 



BATrLR OF BUENA VISTA. 217 

story was believed by thousands. As will be seen by calculating 
the time between the march of General Worlii from Saltillo, and the 
attack on General Taylor at iJiiena Vista, (when it is considered that 
San Luis is three hunilred miles from that point,) Santa Anna did 
not long delay his movements. 

His large bodies of cavalry were despatched immediately in dif- 
ferent directions. General Minon was sent to reconnoitre General 
Taylor at Saltillo ; GenenJ Valencia to carry on the operations in the 
vicinity of Victoria, San Fernando, and Matamoras — while General 
Urrea was sent to play his part in the vicinity of Camargo, China 
and Monterey. The plan worked well ; the rancheros in all parts of 
the valley left their homes and joined Valencia and Urrea, and so 
anxious were the inhal)itants at and near Presidio, Rio Grande, to 
give a good account of themselves, that they raised funds by subscrip- 
tion and sent a party of traders to San Antonio, Texas, and purchased 
all the powder to be had in that town as early as the 30th of 
January. 

Mexican expresses were running in all parts of the country ; and 
everything was on the " qui vive" for the great day when Santa 
Anna should "give the word" which would set this overwhelming 
machine in motion. Fifteen hundred rancheros joined Urrea in 
one day. The inhabitants of all classes left the principal towns 
where our troops were quartered; and those whr had friends among 
the Americans besought them with tears in their eyes to leave the 
country, saying that they "-kneio their throats would be cut if they 
remained." A very respectable Mexican said to me, that he " was 
not an alarmist, but that he knew Santa Anna was advancing with 
an overwhelming force, and that notwithstanding he believed one 
American soldier to be equal to three Mexicans, yet he feared that 
it would be impossible for General Taylor to withstand the shock." 

Santa Anna's unparalleled march against San Antonio, Texas, in 
1836, did not exceed the rapidity with which he moved the main 
body of his army from San Luis to Agua Nueva. So certain was 
he of victory, that he only took twelve days' provisions with him, 
saying to his men, " the immense granaries of the enemy are before 
you ; you have only to go and take them." On they moved, 
full of life, full of hope ; certain beyond a doubt that they should 
28 



218 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

carry everything before them ; and Santa Anna himself looked for- 
ward to the day when he would enjoy a reputation not inferior to 
that of Napoleon himself. Well may they have raised the shout 
when they found the Americans had abandoned their camp at Agua 
Nueva. Well may Santa Anna have said to his men (in orders) 
" the northern barbarians, the despoilers of your soil, the desecrators 
of your churches, are fleeing before you ; onward ! onward, and 
avenge your slaughtered countrymen." 

On they rolled like an avalanche, carrying everything before 
them — but what was their surprise, on arriving at the plain of 
Buena Vista, to behold that little " Spartan band" standing cool, 
firm and steady, with that old veteran, as firm as the Sierra Madre 
itself, at their head ! What must have been his chagrin and morti- 
fication, when, after two days hard fighting, hand to hand, he found 
his army cut to pieces, and his enemy standing firmer than ever, 
ready to renew the .conflict on the morrow ! He, the great Napoleon 
of the West, who had just returned from exile, who had promised 
everything to Mexico and her people, found himself and his schemes 
thwarted at the outset. 

His fall was so great, and his defeat so signal, (all things con- 
sidered,) that I can well account for his treating Major Bliss in the 
cavalier manner that he did, when on tlie morning of the 24th, that . 
officer applied to him for an exchange of prisoners. His all was 
gone. Everything, so far as he was concerned, was lost, and that, 
too, by a handful of undisciplined volunteers. But it will never be 
forgotten that Zachary Taylor was their general. 

It is impossible to calculate the disaster that would have befallen 
us, if Gen. Taylor had not stood like a firm old oak and braved the 
storm as he did. Verily, everything American would have been 
sacrificed, and few would have been left to tell the disastrous tale." 

But even the bravery and firmness of General Taylor, would not 
have been sufficient to avert total defeat and ruin at Buena Vista, if 
he had not been supported by tlie activity, gallantry and military ex- 
perience of General Wool. During one of the most critical periods 
of the battle previous to General Taylor's return from SaUillo, 
General Wool had the sole command, and throughout tlie re- 
mainder of the battle he was the second in command and tlie acting 



BATTLE OF BUEN'A VISTA. 219 

officer in directinsj ttie details of the several subordinate actions. 
General Taylor fully appreciated his services ; and in the burst 
of feeling at their interview after tiie battle, he did him no more 
than simple justice. We shall notice the services of General Wool 
in this batde more particularly in the Appendix. 

The American soldiers were congratulated for their bravery in the 
following terms. 

ORDERS, (no. n.) 

Heai)-Qcarter9, Army of Occupation-, 
Buena Visfa, Feb. 26, 1847. 

1 . The Commanding General has the grateful task of congratulating 
the troops upon the brilliant success which attended their arms in 
the conflicts of the 22d and 23d. Confident in die immense superi- 
ority of numbers, and stimulated by the presence of a distinguished 
leader, the Mexican troops were yet repulsed in every effort to force 
our lines ; and finally witlidrew with immense loss from the field. 

2. The General would express his obligations to the officers and 
men engaged, for the cordial support which they rendered through- 
out the action. It will be his highest pride to bring to the notice of 
the government, the conspicuous gallantry of particular officers and 
corps, whose unwavering steadiness more than once saved the 
fortunes of the day. He would also express his high satisfaction 
with the conduct of the small command left to hold Saltillo. Though 
not so seriously engaged as Uieir comrades, their services were very 
important, and efficiendy rendered. While bestowing this just 
tribute to the conduct of the troops, the General deeply regrets to 
say, that there were not a few exceptions. He trusts that those 
who fled ingloriously to Buena Vista, and even to Saltillo, will seek 
an opportunity to retrieve their reputation, and to emulate the bravery 
of their comrades, who bore the brunt of the batde, and sustained 
against fearful odds the honor of the flag. 

The exultation of success is checked by the heavy sacrifice of 
life which it has cost, embracing many officers of high rank and 
rare merit. While the sympathies of a grateful country will be 
given to die bereaved families and friends of diose wlio nobly fell, 



220 LIFE OF GExN'ERAL TAYLOR. 

their illustrious example will remain for the beiieiil and admiration 
of the army. 

By order of Major General Taylor. 

W. W. S. Bliss, Assist. Adjt. Gen. 

We now take leave of the bloody field of Buena Vista, Long 
will it be remembered in the annals of nations. Future generations 
will dwell with mingled emotions on its scenes of glory and suffering. 
The imagination will dwell upon its impetuous charges, its terrible 
repulses, the shouts of victory and the groans of the wounded ; the 
rejoicing of the conquerors, the terrified flight of the vanquished, 
and the mournful scenes of that field of carnage, where the priest 
administers consolation to the dying, while the callous camp follower 
plunders the dead. 








A Guerilla. 



CHAPTER XI 



lEbcnttf {Sul&j(eqtt«nt to tie ^uttU of ^ucna Vi^ta. 

HE battle of Buena Vislii, or 
Aiiirostura, has been thecrown- 
iiiir point of General Taylor's 
brilliant campaign in Mexico. 
Since that time the enemy have 
not dared to meet him in the 
field, and the subsequent opera- 
tions of his army are few and 
unimportant. 

On the 2d of ^larch, Mr. 
Crittenden was sent to Wash- 
ington with General Taylor's despatches. He was accompanied by 
221 




222 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

two hundred and sixty troops and one hundred and fifty \vagor.=;. 
under Major Geddings. When near Seralvo they encountered Gen- 
eral Urrea with fil'teen hundred Mexicans, and a battle took place, of 
which we extract the amount, in substance, from the major's report. 

On Sunday afternoon, tlie 7th instant, the enemy's lancers com- 
menced the attack, sweeping by the flanks and rear of the Americans, 
in order to throw them into confusion. They were driven back 
with some loss, by the park of artillery, and some companies of 
infantry. Many of the drivers now deserted the teams, of which 
about forty were captured and burned by die enemy. One of them 
contained the ammunition, which exploded, killing and wounding ten 
Mexicans, and inspiring a number with panic and disorder. Having 
thus broken the train of wagons, the enemy placed themselves 
between the rear guard and main body, in order the more securely 
to capture Captain Keneally's company, and a piece of artillery 
which formed the rear. Captain Bradley was immediately ordered 
to attempt communication, but at that moment Keneally himself 
arrived, stating that his company was surrounded, and that he had 
received under cover of a flag, the following note : — 

" The Colonel Langberg offers to all tlie soldiers life and security, 
if you will surrender yourself. 

Emelio Laxgbero, 

Foreign Officer." 

He also stated that he had been favored with an interview with 
Langberg, who, after stating that his force amoimted to sixteen 
hundred men, gave him an hour to decide upon a surrender. Upon 
receiving this intplligence. Major Giddings immediately requested 
that the truce might terminate, and soon after Captain Bradley cut 
his way through the Mexican host and gained the rear. This saved 
the wagons ; and toward night the enemy drew off toward Seralvo. 
During the night, as the troops were suH'ering much for want of 
water, a party of Mexic;ui cavalry were driven from some neigiibor- 
ing streams ; and before morning tlie whole body of the enemv 
evacuated the town. 

In this afiair, two privates of Captain Bradley's cotupany, and 
fifteen teamsters were killed ; while the Mexicans lost in killed and 
wounded forty-five. 



PURSUIT OF UJ{RI:a. 223 

The Americans entered Seralvo on the next morning, where 
Crittenden was detiiined for some days in consequence of the teamsters 
relusini^ to proceed without a stronger escort. At the end of this 
time Colonel Curtis arrived from Camargo with a large body of 
troops, being on his route to Monterey in pursuit of General Urrea. 
The colonel continued his pursuit until the 18th, when he met 
General Taylor near Marin. The General had left Agua Nueva, 
with May's dragoons and two companies of Bragg's artillery, also 
for the purpose of capturing Urrea, whom he had understood to be 
rapidly gaining the mountains with five thousand lancers and ran- 
cheros. He was now informed that on the night previous, the 
Mexican general having heard of his approach, had retreated from 
Marin, where he had been stationed, with the design of attacking 
Curtis. The colonel's force amounted to twelve hundred infantry, 
one company of dragoons and two field pieces •, and the combined 
army moved next morning from Marin. The pursuit continued 
until the army had reached Caidereta, where it was ascertained that 
Urrea was beyond the mountains. General Taylor then returned 
towards Monterey, and pitched his camp at the Walnut Springs, 
four miles from that city. 

On the 31st, the General issued the following proclamation : — 

Tlie General-in-chief of the American forces to the inhabitants of Tamau- 
Upas, Nuevo Leon, and Coahuila. 

When the American troops first crossed the frontier and entered 
the above states, it was with the intention, publicly declared to you, 
of making war, not upon the peaceful citizens of the soil, but upon 
the central government of the republic, with a view to obtain an 
early and an honorable peace. 

The under.-igued was autliorized by his government to levy con- 
tributions upon tlie people for the support of his army, but unwilling 
to throw the heavy burden of the war upon those, who with few 
exceptions, manifested a neutnd disposition, he has continued from 
the first to pay punctually and liberally for all supplies drawn from 
the country for the support of his troops. 

He has used every elTort to cause the war to bear lightly upon 
the people of these states, and he had hoped by these means, to 
retain their confidence and to insure their neutrality, in the strife 



224 



LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 



between his government and that of Mexico; but he regrets to say 
that his kindness has not been appreciated, but has been met by acts 
of hostility and phinder. The citizens of the country, instead of 
pursuing their avocations quietly at home, have, in armed bands, 
waylaid the roads, and under the direction, and with the support of 
government troops, have destroyed trains and murdered drivers 
under circumstances of atrocity which disgrace humanity. 

The Uves of those who were thus wantonly put to death cannot 
be restored ; but the undersigned requires from the people of the 
country, an indemnification for the loss sustained by the destruction 
of the trains, and the pillage of dieir contents. To that end an esti- 
mate will be made by the proper officers of the entire loss, and this 
loss must be made good either in money, or in the products of the 
country, by the communhy at large of the states of Tamaulipas, 
New Leon, and Coahuila, each district or juzgado paying its just 
proportion. 

It is expected that the rich will bear their full share. And the 
undersigned calls upon all good citizens to remain absolutely neutral, 
and to give no countenance to the bands which infest the country 
for the purpose of murder and pillage. It is his anxious desire to 
continue the same policy as heretofore ; and he trusts that the course 
of the citizens will enable him to do so. 

Z. Taylor. 

Maj. Gen. U. S. A. 

Heau-Quartehs at Monterey, March 31, 1847. 







\. . 





Castle of San Juan de Ulloa. 

CHAPTER XIII. 



^ifgc cf Vsxa ©ruj. 



bom oil 



HE course of events now takes us to 
southern Mexico. While General 
'I'aylor and the army of occupation 
were thus sustaining the glory of their 
fliig, on the Rio Grande, most import- 
ant operations were going forward 
under General Winfield Scott, who, 
as we have stated, had been appointed 
by government to supersede Taylor. 
Of these operations, it may not be 
improper to give a concise account.* 

General Taylor had been placed in 
command at Texas, througli ilie rucom- 

NFiELi) Scott was educated for the profession of the law. He was 
the 13lh of June, 1786, in the neighborhood of Petersburg. Va. He 
29 223 




226 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

mendation of General Scott. After the battles on the Rio Bravo, 
the latter officer was given the supreme command in that region, and 
reached the seat of war on January 1st, 1 847. 

has enjoyed the benefits of a liberal education, being placed early in life at 
the high school of Richmond, and subsequently passed through William and 
Mary College. He entered the army while the difliculties concerning impress- 
ment were pending, and on the 3d of .May, 1808, received his first appointment 
as captain of light artillerj-. His characteristic precision soon brought him into the 
favorable notice of his superiors, and led to his promotion as lieutenant-colonel, 
in July, 1812. In October of that year he assisted Lieutenant Elliot in cutting 
out the Adams and Caledonia from under Fort Erie, and afterwards defended 
both vessels with success against a party of British. At Queenstown Heights, 
he so distinguished himself by personal bravery, as to be intrusted with the 
company of Colonel Van Rensellaer, when that oflicer had been wounded. 
Here his duties were arduous. The British who were on the point of retreating, 
received large reinforcements of Indians and regulars from Fort George, and 
renewed the fight with desperate energy. The American militia, about three 
hundred, had crossed the river to the Canada side, and were now attacked by 
thirteen hundred of the enemy, of whom nine hundred were fresh troops. They 
fought heroically for several hours, but were obliged to surrender, and were 
marched to Quebec. Scott was among them, but was afterwards exchanged 
and returned to Boston. 

In 1813, the attention of the American government was directed to the im- 
portance of strengthening the defences in the north. The fortifications were 
repaired, and additional troops ordered to the frontier; and in May, Colonel 
Scott joined the army near IS'iagara, as adjutant-general. Here they were 
joined by the troops which had been engaged at the capture of York, and 
General Dearborn, the commander-in-chief, carried on active preparations for an 
attack on Fort George. Toward the end of May these were deemed sulficiently 
advanced to warrant the embarkation of the army, which took place bctbre day- 
light of the next morning. Colonel Scott commanded the advance, which 
consisted of a detachment of the twenty-second regiment, Forsythe's corps of 
riflemen, two companies of his own regiment, the second artillen,', one comj)any 
of the third artillery, and a company of dismounted dragoons, numbering in all 
about six hundred men. The whole army crossed the river without accident, 
and marched \ip the rocky shore of the Canada side, with Colonel Scott in 
advance, unappalled by a hea\7 fire which a party of British incessantly poured 
upon them. The advance rushed up towards the enemy, but were several times 
repulsed, un'Jl the arrival of the first brigade, when a spirited action of ten 
minutes ensued, at the end of which, the enemy retreated, and were pursued 
toward the village of Fort George. The whole command then landed and 
formed, silencing a somewhat aiuioying fire of shells from the village. The 
enemy evacuated the fort, and were pursued to some distance, but with little 
effect. Colonel Scott took down the flag of the fort with his own hands, and 
atlerwards rejoined his column, and continued the pursuit toward Queens- 
town. When within a few miles of that place, they received an order from the 
commander-in-chief, directing them to return, and encamp at Newark. The 
exhausted army obeyed, and retired to Fort George, where it passed the night. 

In July 1813, Colonel Scott received the command of a regiment, and was 
concerned in the allkir of Burlington heights, the burning of York, and the 



SIEGE OF VERA CRIZ. 227 

The confulcnce of government in his mihtary abilities, as well as 
the ample powers intrusted to him, will be understood from the 
followiiij: ordtT, directing hiui lo the seat of war. 

iiu'^urces-rul .1 ■-(■.■, it \iprin Montreal. In the great battles on the frontier in 1814 
he figured most conspicuously, and to him, in a great measure, is their success 
owing. The following account of the engagement at Bridgewater, which we 
abridge from the journal of one who shared its dangers, will convey some idea 
of the nature of his services. 

" About noon of the 25th, the commander-in-chief was informed that the 
enemy were landing at Lcwistown, and that our baggage and stores were in 
danger of immediate capture. It was conceived that the most effectual method 
of recalling him from this object, was to put the army in motion toward Queens- 
town. If he was in the field upon the Canada side, our business was to fight him 
without loss of time, as General Brown had almost ceased to hope for reinforce- 
ments or co-operation from any quarter. The support upon which the general 
had hitherto relied, had failed to appear, and the enemy having power of the 
lake could reinforce at pleasure. General Scott with the first brigade, Towson's 
artillery, and all the dragoons and mounted men were accordingly put in march 
on the road leading toward Queenstown. He was particularly instructed to 
report if the enemy appeared, and to call for assistance if necessary. On arriving 
near the falls, he learned that the enemy were in force behind a narrow piece 
of woods directly in his front, and having despatched information of the fact, he 
advanced upon them. Hearing the noise of artillery, General Brown ordered 
the second brigade and all the artillery to march as rapidly as possible to Scott's 
support, and rode down in person with his aids, towards the scene of action. On 
arriving there, the general found that Scott had passed the wood, and engaged 
the enemy on the Queenstown road, with three regiments and Towson's artil- 
lery, one regiment having been thrown to the right to be governed by circum- 
stances. 

Knowing that these troops had suffered severely in the contest. General 
Brown determined to interpose a new line with the advancing troops, and thus 
disengage General Scott and hold his brigade in reserve. By this lime Captains 
Biddle and Ritchie's companies of artillery had come into action, and the head 
of General Ripley's column was nearly up with the right of Scott's line." 

The author then goes on to describe the heat of the engagement, and the 
capture of the enemj''s battery by Colonel Miller, and continues : — 

" General Ripley now urged the commander-in-chief to order up Scott, who 
had all this time lieen held in reserve with three of his battalions. The com- 
mander rode in person to General Scott, and ordered him to advance. As Scott 
advanced toward Ripley's right. General Brown passed to the left to speak with 
General Porter, whose militia were at that moment thrown into some confusion 
by a most galling and deadly fire from the enemy. They were, however, kept 
tc their duty by the exertions of their gallant chief, and most nobly sustained the 
conflict. The enemy were repulsed and again driven out of sight, but in a 
short time were distinctly seen advancing in great force upon the main line, 
under Ripley and Porter. The direction that General Scott hud given to his 
column, would have enabled him within five minutes, to have formed line in the 
rear of the enemy's right, and thus bring it between two fires. But in a most 
unexpected moment, a flank fire from a parly of the enemy concealed uiKin our 
left, falling upon the centre of Scott's command, when in open column, blasted 



228 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

War DtPARTMEXT, Washington, 
Nuvember 23d, 1846. 

Sir : — The President several days since communicated in person, 
to you, his orders to repair to Mexico, to take the command of the 
forces there assembled, and particularly to organize and set on foot, 
an expedition to operate on the Gulf coast, if on arriving at the theatre 
of action, you shall deem it to be practicable. It is not proposed to 
control your operations by definite and positive instructions, but you 
are left to prosecute them as your judgment, under a full view of all 
the circumstances, shall dictate. The work is before you, and the 
means provided or to be provided, for accomplishing it, are com- 
mitted to you in the full confidence that you will use them to the 
best advantage. 

The objects which it is desirable to obtain have been indicated, and 
it is hoped that you will have the requisite force to accomplish them. 

Of this you must be the judge when preparations are made, and 
the time for action arrived. 

Very respectfully, your obedient servant, i_ 

W. S. Marcy, 

Secretary of War 
Gen. Wixfield Scott. 
our proud expectations. His column was severed in two, one part passing to 
the rear, the other by tlie right Hank, of platoons toward our main line. A-bout 
this time General Brown received his first wound, a musket ball passing through 
his right thigh. A few minutes after, Captain Spencer, his aid, received a 
mortal wound. By this time the enemy had nearly closed with our main line. 
Moving up to the left of this line. General Brown received a \-ioIent blow from 
a ball, upon his left side. It did not enter, but nearly unhorsed him with its 
force. He met with Colonel Wood, and thought proper to inform him of his 
condition. The colonel exclaimed with great emotion, ' Never mind, my dear 
general ; you are gaining the greatest victory that was ever gained by your 
nation.' • His gallant soul (says General Brown,) was exclusively occupied 
with the battle that was then raging with redoubled fury.' " 

In this battle Scott was so severely wounded that his life was despaired of; 
but under the careful treatment of Drs. Physic and Chapman he was completely 
cured. Congress rewarded his bravery by a gold medal, and the rank of Ma/or- 
General, the highest in the American army ; and the legislatures of New York 
and Virginia voted him their thanks, and a sword from each. He was in the 
Seminole war, but was not permitted to distinguish himself. 

On horseback, General Scott is said to present a fine appearance, being six 
feet four inches high, and possessing a commanding figure. He is distinguished 
for the clearness of his military plans, the rapidity of their execution, and espe- 
cially the mathematical precision which distinguishes all his movements. Rare 
natural talents, carefully improved by a soimd judgment, render him worthy to 
command the forces of America. 



i 



SIEGi: OF VERA CRUZ. 229 

The first movement of General Scott, was to plan an attack upon 
Vera Cruz, an important city, defended by a castle whose position 
and fortifications rendered it the key of central Mexico, and which 
was considered impregnable.* As at Monterey, the inhabitants had 
increased its defences by planting cannon upon the tops of the houses, 
and through holes in the walls ; and each street w.is commanded 
by cross batteries throughout its whole extent. 

The forces of General Scott were utterly inadequate for cither a 
siege or an assault upon such a place. He was therefore obliged to 

" The Castle of San Juan dc Ulloa is unquestionably the most celebrated of 
all American fortresses, hs construction was commenced, in the year 1582, 
upon a bar or bank in front of the town of Vera Cruz, at the distance of 1062 
Castillian varas (yards), and it is entirely surrounded by water. The centre of 
the area occupied by this fortress is a small island upon which Juande Grajalva 
landed, a year previous to the arrival of Corlez upon our continent, and at that 
period it accidentally received the name which it retains to this day. It seems 
that there was a shrine or temple erected upon it, in which human victims 
were sacrificed to the Indian gods ; and as the Spaniards were informed these 
olTerings were made, in accordance with the commands of tiie kings o{ Acol/iua, 
they confounded or abbreviated this name into U//oa, which they affixed to the 
island. 

Sixty-one years after the conquest, the work was undertaken, and although 
it seems to have been designed not only to defend Vera Cruz, but to attack it 
in case of necessity, that city was, nevertheless, sacked by the pirates, under the 
renowned freebooter Lorencillo, in the year 1683. 

The cost of the castle has been estimated by various WTJtcrs to have amounted 
to the sum of forty millions of dollars, and this may be regarded as no ex- 
aggeration, if we consider the difficulty of obtaining some of the materials of 
which it is composed, and the fact that a large portion of it is built on founda- 
tions laid in the sea. whose waves it has resisted for more than two centuries. 

According to a report made on the 17th of January, 1775, it was the opinion 
of a council of war, composed of distinguished olJiccrs, that this fortress, after all 
its defences were completed, would require a garrison for eflective service, com- 
posed of 1700 infantry, 300 artillcrj', 228 sailors, and 100 supernumeraries. 

The exterior polygon of the castle, which faces Vera Cruz, is three hundred 
yards long, while that which defends the north channel, is at least two hundred. 
Besides these, there is a low batterj-, situated in the Inistion of Santiago, which 
doubles the fire on that channel. The southern channel is also defended by 
the battery of !^an Miguel. 

The whole fort is constructed of Mndrepora Astrca, a species of soft coral, 
which abounds in the neighboring islands. The walls are about five yards in 
thickness, their exterior being faced with hard stone. The castle is amply su^i- 
plieil with water from seven cisterns, which contain severally 24,918, 17,SSl, 
19,000. 6,000, 16,685, 4,500, 4,752 — in all 93,767— cubic feet of water. 

Before the castle was attacked by the French in 1838, it was defended by 
177 jiv'ces of various calibre — instead of 370, its full equipment. 

In the year 1844, there were in the castle and city the following munitions, 
belonging to the artillery : — 



230 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

order a detachment from General Taylor's army, which reached him 
in February, and augumented his force to about 12,000 men. 

In the same month, the Ondiaka was wrecked near the island of 
Lobos, having on board a regiment of Louisiana volunteers, under the 

Ix Sax Jcax de Ulloa. 



10 (84 pr.) Paixhan guns, 


5 ( brass ) 1 4 inch mortar 


10 (64 pr.) 


" " 


3 ( iron ) 14 


" 


37 ( brass ) 24 


pounders, 


1 (brass) 18 


" 


25 ( iron ) 24 


" 


5 ( iron ) 18 


" 


2 ( iron ) 18 


« 


1 ( brass ) 9 


" 


5 (brass) 16 


« 


6 ( brass ) 8 


" 


6 ( iron ) 16 


" 


21 mortars, Total. 




95 cannon, Total 










Ix V 


ERA Cnuz. 




1 ( iron ) 24 


rounder 


6 ( iron ) 6 


•• 


1 (_ brass) 18 


" 


15 ( brass ) 4 


" 


14 ( brass ) 12 


n 


G ( brass ) 3 


" 


8 ( iron ) 12 


" 


13 ( iron ) 3 


" 


18 ( brass ) 18 


" 


— 




7 ( iron ; 8 


" 


Tofal, 99 cannon, and seven mort 


10 ( brass ) 6 


" 







In the same year the Mexican government entered into a contract with Senor 
Escandor, by wliich that gentleman was bound to furnish the castle with the 
following additional munitions: — 53,342 hollow balls, 35,136 solid do., 5000 
Enghsh muskets, 3000 U?rccrola3, 3000 cavalrj' swords, 5.8U0 infuntrk- swords, 
2000 musicians' do., 10 Paixhan guns, 15, 8 and 12 pounders, 8 obuses. All 
these were delivered except 48,000 hollow projectiles, and 13,550 solid. — 
Niles' Reiristcr, 1847. 

The strength of this celebrated castle is thus discribed by an officer in the 
American army. — " The castle of Vera Cniz is no more what it was when 
the French carried it, than is a full grown man to an infant. Then there 
were no guns above the calibre of 24 pounds, and the few of them, were most 
miserably served. The magazines unarched were not bomb-proof. The powder 
was of such an inferior character, that not a shot penetrated a French sliip, 
but at the close of the engagement, were stuck about the sides of the sliip- 
ping, like so many balls of mud ; and in addition to all this, the commanding 
officer, having been instructed not to fire the first gun, permitted the French 
squadron to come up and take its position as quietly, as though mooring to pass 
the winter season. 

Now let us see what effect time and a severe lesson have effected. There 

are at present mounted, nearly 300 cannon and wherever it has been 

possible to train a gun upon the channel of approach, it is planted ; so that a 
fleet mo^•ing up to the attack, must be exposed to the concentrated fire of seventy 
cannon, over a distance of two miles, before it can get into position to return a 
shot. The castle of San Juan is al>out three eighths of a mile from the city, and 
is supported by a water-battcrj- at the northwest angle of the town, of fifty 
32 and 42 pound guns, all of which would bear upon a squadron passing up, 



SIEGE OF VERA CRUZ. 



231 




command of Colonel de Russy. Soon after gaining the land, they 
were encountered by a large Mexican force under General Cos, who 
demanded their immediate surrender. Although the colonel's men 
were without arms, he immediately placed them in full battle array, 
in the meantime delaying an answer to the summons, until night. 
He then lighted his fires, deserted his heavy baggage, and marched 
rapidly toward the head-quarters at Tampico, which he reached 
without meeting with opposition. 



from the moment it arrived within range, until within musket shot. The 
garrison at this time is composed of 2000 men. In the event of an attack, they 
would with the most jK-rfect safety, retire within the casemates (which are as 
impervious to shot as the sides of Mount Orizaba") until the ammunition of the 
assailino; force was expended, when they would return to their cruns and sweep 
the waters, with the most terrific etlcct. The officer commanding the castle 
lately sent otlicial word •' that if the commodore would bring his fleet up, he might 
fire until there was not a shot in the locker, and he would promise him not to re- 
turn a gun until he was done." 



232 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

A naval force under Commodore Conner had been ordered lo co- 
operate with General Scott, while he conducted the attack by land. 
Accordingly he embarked at the depot, with his whole force, and on 
the 7th of March aiTived at Anton Lizardo. 

In company with Commodore Conner, General Scott then made 
a reconnoissance of the city's castle and coast, and selected a position 
on the beach, west of the island of Sacriiicios, as the most suitable 
place for the landing of his troops. Active preparations were im- 
mediately commenced, and the landing was effected on the 9th, with- 
out any opposition from the enemy. 

An eye witness thus describes the landing. 

"A more stirring spectacle has probably never been witnessed in 
America. In the first hne there were no less than seventy heavy 
surf-boats, containing nearly 4000 regulars, all of whom expected to 
meet the enemy before they struck the shore. 

Notwithstanding this, every man was anxious to be first, and 
plunged into the water waist deep. As they reached the shore the 
' stars and stripes' were instantly floating, a rush was made for the 
sand hills, and amid loud shouts the troops pressed onward. Three 
long and loud clieers rose from their comrades still on board, awaiting 
to be embarked, and meanwhile the tops and every portion of tlie 
foreign vessels, were crowded with spectators of the scene. Not 
one who witnessed it, will ever forget the landing. Why the Mexi- 
cans did not oppose us is a greater mystery than ever, considering 
their great advantages at the time, and that they have since opposed 
every step of our advance." 

The detailed preparations are given in the despatch of Commodore 
Conner as follows : — 

The anchorage near this place being extremely contracted, it became 
necessary in order to avoid crowding it with an undue number of 
vessels, to transfer most of the troops to the vessels of war, for trans- 
portation to Saerificios. Accordingly on the morning of the Otli at 
daylight, all necessary preparations having been previously made, 
this transfer was commenced. The frigates received o.. board 
between twenty-five and twenty-eight hundred men each, with their 
arms and accoutrements, and the sloops and smaller vessels, numbers 
in proportion. This part of the movement was completed abou 



SIKGE OF VKRA CRUZ. 233 

11 o'clock A. M., and a few minutes thereafter, the squadron under 
my command, accompanied by the commanding general, in the 
steamship Massachusetts, and such of the transports as had been 
selected for the purpose, got under way. Each ship came in and 
anchored without the slightest disorder, in the small space allotted to 
her — the harbor being still very much crowded, notwithstanding the 
number of transports we had left behind. 

Whilst we were transferring the troops from the ships to the surf- 
boats, I directed tlie steamers Spitfire and Vixen, and five gun-boats 
to form a line parallel with, and close into the beach to cover the 
landing. This order was promptly executed, and these small vessels 
from the lightness of their draught, were enabled to take positions 
within good grape range of the shore. As the boats severally received 
their complements of troops, they assembled in a line abreast, between 
the fleet and the gun-boats ; and when all were ready they pulled in 
together, under a guidance of a number of officers of the squadron, 
who had been detailed for this purpose. General Worth commanded 
this, the first line of the army, and had the satisfaction of forming 
his command on tlie beach and neighboring heights just before sun- 
set. Four thousand five hundred men were thus thrown on shore 
almost simultaneously. No enemy appeared to oflTer us the slightest 

opposition The whole army consisting of upwards of 

10,000 men, were thus safely deposited on shore, without the slight- 
est accidenf of any kind. 

General Scott has now with him upwards of 11,000 men. At 
his request I permitted the marines of the squadron, under Captain 
Edson, to join him as a part of the 3d regiment of artillery. The 
general-in-chief landed this morning, and the army put itself in motion 
at an early hour, to form its lines around the city. There has been 
some distant firing of shot and shells from the town and castle upon 
the troops, as they advanced, but without result." 

Meanwhile the Mexicans were not idle. Althougli they unwisely 
omitted a timely and vigorous opposition to the landing, yet every 
preparation was going forward to defend their fortress. At the same 
timL' the following proclamation was issued by the governor. 

Compatriots — Having seen the enemy's squadron, so long ex- 
pected, enter this port, in conjiuiciion with the vessels containing the 
30 



23J LIFE OF GEXEHAL TAYLOR. 

mercenary troops destined to operate against this heroic city, it is the 
moment to perform the obHgations contracted to our country, with 
valor, and boldly sustain her sacred rights. 

Comrades — My heart beats with inexpressible satisfaction at the 
desire that animates us to measure our arras with the daring invaders. 
They present themselves this moment in stronger force, but you well 
know their forces were never superior in discipline nor valor. Pos- 
sessing both advantages, you see the stniggle in view for our hearths, 
in defence of your interests and your families, in fact, for the inde- 
pendence and liberty of your dear country, united to that justice 
which assists us. These will be sufficient incentives to inflame your 
courage, and convert you into heroes. 

Brave and suffering veterans ! Worthy soldiers of the National 
Guard ! The hour of combat is near ! The capital of your state is 
the point of American ambition ! I trust our enemies will find Uieir 
sepulchres in the ports of the same city which they pretend to pos- 
sess, and befure we all succumb, we will cause to descend to pos- 
terity a lesson of virtue and honor. 

These are the vows of your compatriot and friend, 

Juan Morales. 

Some days after the landing, the Americans were joined by Cap- 
tains Ker and Thornton, and Colonel Harney, accompanied by a con- 
siderable body of men, together with many horses. 

On the Uth, General Scott received a note from Senor Don 
Afilass G. de Escalante, the Spanish consul at the city, requesting that 
the American army would respect the persons and property of 
the Spanish residents, not only during the siege, but also in case of 
an assault. This was answered by the American general on the 
13th. In his note, he acknowledged in very polite terms the relation 
between Spain and the United States, and signified his entire wiUing- 
ness to accede to the request of the consul ; widi a promise to con- 
form to it as far as practicable; but he reminded him of the difficulty 
of discriminating between friend and foe, especially during the 
confusion of an assault by night, and that on such an occasion, even 
a consular flag could scarcely be distinguished. Accompanying the 
answer was a printed safeguard with the sign-manual of General 
Scott, afl*ording protection to all Spanish residents, and a similar one 



SIEGE OF VERA CRUZ. 235 

for the Britisli consul. The following is a copy of the safe 
guard. 

" By authority of iNIajor General Scott, general-in-chief of the 
armies of the United States — The person, the family, and the pro- 
perty of the British consul, residing in Vera Cruz, his house and 
its contents are placed under the safeguard of the army of the United 
States. To olTer any violence or injury to them is expressly for- 
bidden ; on the contrary, it is ordered that safety and protection be 
given to him and them in case of need." 

A similar letter was addressed to Monsieur A. Gloux, the French 
consul, with a request that he would deliver to the Prussian consul 
the safeguard enclosed for him.* 

On the 22d, General Scott summoned the town and garrison to 
surrender, assuring them that they should be treated with all the honors 
of war. The commandant replied, that intrusted as he was with a 
high national duty, it become him to use every exertion in order to 
fulfil it ; that he expected a vigorous assault, and was prepared to 
meet it ; and that General Scott might commence hostiUties as soon 
as convenient. 

When the flag returned with this intelligence, the bombardment 
commenced in earnest. Seven mortars were then in battery, and 
were ordered by General Scott to open immediately upon the city. 
Shortly after, all the smaller vessels of Commodore Perry's! squadron, 
comprising two steamers and five schooners, approached the city 
within about a mile and a quarter, according to previous arrange- 
ment, and being partially covered from the guns of the castle, they 
opened a brisk fire upon the city. This was continued by both 
batteries and vessels, with but little interruption on the part of the 
latter until nine o'clock in the morning. The night scene was 
grand and terrible. Bombs and rockets traversed the blazing path- 
way of batde, contrasting strangely with the dense gloom that sur- 
rounded them ; while the roaring of mortars, the bursting of bombs, 

• Whosoever belonging to the armies of the United States employed in 
foreign parts, shall force a safeguard shall suffer death. — Fifty-fifth Article of 
War. 

f Commodore Perry had been appointed by government to supersede Com- 
modore Conner. 



236 LIFE OF GEXERAL TAYLOR. 

the crashing of buildings, and the dim cry of llie sufferers lieard 
faintly, as it struggled with tlie distance, rendered that night worthy 
of remembrance to every beholder.* 

In the morning, it became evident that the position of the assault- 
ing vessels was one of great danger, and they were therefore witli- 
drawn. About the same time, three additional mortars were placed 
in battery, and added their terrible discharges to the others. The 
fire was now most destructive to the city ; house after house was 
heard to fall, and the bombs ratded and echoed like hail along the 
ploughed-up streets. The batteries of ten-inch mortars were par- 
ticularly destructive, as they were only eight hundred yards from the 
city. Yet notwithstanding the incessant fire from the city and 
castle commenced long before that of the ximericans, General Scott 
lost but two men killed and four wounded. One of the killed was 
Captain John R. Vinton, of the third artillery, who highly distin- 
guished himself at Monterey. He was one of the most talented and 
accomplished members of the array, and at the time of his fall was 
on duty in the trenches as field and coraraanding officer.! 

Thirteen heavy pounders now arrived from the depot, and two 
of them were safely landed ; but a heavy 7ior//^er commencing at 
noon, stopped all further landing of either guns or bombs, and. in 
consequence the mortar batteries were obliged to slacken their fires 
until the return of a smooth sea. On the night of the 23d, this 
terrible storm abated, and early tlie next morning the army commenced 
the landing of shot, shells, and mortars. 

The naval battery, (No. 5,) was opened with great activity by 
Captain Aulick, the second in command of the squadron. His fire 
was continued from ten A. M. until two in the afternoon, when ho 
had exhausted his ammunition, and was soon after relieved by Cap- 
tain Mayo, who hinded with fresh supplies. Captain Aulick had 
four sailors killed and Lieutenant Baldwin slightly wounded. Most 
of the other batteries fired but languidly during the day, not only 
from want of shells, but also in consequence of the fury of the 



See Appendix, articles Bombardment and Capitulation. 
"I have just attend 
V of the enemy, and 
Report. See Appendix. 



-}• " I have just attended his honored remains to a soldier's grave, in full 
view of the enemy, and within reach of his guns." — General Scotfs Official 



SII:GE op \Eli\ CRUZ. 2^7 

norther, which filled the works with sand, nearly as fast as ihey 
could be opened, blinding the laborers and scattering their materials. 

Early on the morning of the 25th, all the batteries commenced in 
tremendous activity, and the devoted city began to crumble beneath 
their dreadful discharges. But the garrison seemed heedless of their 
losses, and the huge guns of the San Juan poured forth their fierce 
showers of hail with incessant roar. 

On the evening previous. General Scott had received a memorial 
signed by the consuls of Great Britain, France, Spain, and Prussia, 
asking him to grant a truce, to enable the neutrals, together with 
Mexican women and children, to withdraw from the city. To this 
General Scott now replied in substance, as follows : That a truce 
could be granted only on the application of Governor Morales, with 
a view to surrender ; that in sending safeguards to the different con- 
suls, commencing as far back as the 13th instant, he had distinctly 
admonished them of the dangers that followed ; that although at 
that date he had refused to allow any person to pass the line of 
investment either way, yet the blockade had been left open to the 
consuls and other neutrals to pass out to their respective ships of 
war, up to the 22d instant. Inclosed was a copy of the summons to 
the governor, showing that General Scott had fully considered the 
hardships and distresses of the place, especially of the women and 
children, before one gun had been fired upon the city. 

The sufl"erings of the city were now becoming intense. Men, 
women and children were torn to pieces by bombs, or crushed 
beneath falling buildings ; hundreds congregated in the streets, were 
raked and thinned by the shells and shot, and the hospitals were 
crowded with the wounded and dying. Under these circumstances, 
the people were clamorous for a termination of their miseries ; and 
numbers of them petitioned the governor to surrender. With a 
bravery, however, which does him honor, he resolutely refused, 
declaring his intention to defend his post until defence was hopeless. 
A council of the citizens and military officers was then held, the 
result of wliich was, that Morales was deposed, and General Lan- 
dero placed in his stead. On the morning of the 26ih, the new 
governor despatched overtures of surrender to the American com- 
mander, and negotiations were immediately commenced. Consider- 



238 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

able delay was experienced, as a storm of wind filled the air with 
showers of sand, and rendered it difRcult to communicate with the 
city, and utterly impossible to reach the fleet. 

Generals Worth and Pillow, and Colonel Totten, were appointed 
as commissioners by General Scott, to meet those of the Mexican 
commander. While die conference was going on. Captain Aulick. 
arrived from the fleet, and aUhough not originally included in the 
specified arrangements, yet the commander did not hesitate to desire 
the Mexicans, with proper courtesy, that the captain miglit be duly 
introduced, and allowed to participate in the acts and discussions of 
the commissioners. He was accordingly received. 

At the conference, the Mexican commissioners oflered six pro- 
positions as the terms on which they were wilUng to evacuate the 
city ; these, with the reply of the American commander were as 
follows. 
Six Propositions from the Mexican Commissioners to the General-in-Chief. 

1st. The garrison will evacuate the place within a time to be agreed 
upon between the belligerent parties, retiring to the city of Orizaba 
or Jalapa, by regular day marches, according to the custom of armies 
on a march. 

2d. The aforesaid garrison sliall niarcli out with all the honors ol' 
war, colors displayed, drums beating, stores belonging to the corps 
of which it is composed, the allowance of field pieces corresponding 
to its force, baggage and munitions of war. 

3d. The Mexican flag will remain displayed on the bastion of 
Santiago until the retiring Mexican garrison shall be out of sight of 
the city, and on hauling it down, it shall be saluted with twenty-one 
guns fired from die same bastion, until whicli time tlio forces of the 
United States shall not enter die place. 

4th. The inhabitants of Vera Cruz shall continue in the free 
possession of their moveable and immoveable property, in tlie enjoy- 
ment of which they shall never be disturbed, as well as in the exer- 
cise of their religious faith. 

5th. The guards of Vera Cruz, if they find it convenient, to 
retire peaceably to their homes, not to be molested on account of 
their conduct in bearing arms in defence of the place. 

6th. The undersigned desire to know, in case the Scnor General 



SIECJE OF VERA CRUZ. 239 

Scott should have to foiitinue hostilities, on account of not admitting 
these propositions, if he will permit the neutrals to go out of the 
place, as well as the women and children belonging to the Mexican 
families. 

Pedro M. Herrkra, 

JoSE GUITIERREZ De ViLLANUEVA, 

Manuel Robles. 

Head Qcahters of the Armi of the United States of America, 
Camp Washington, before Vera Cruz, March 27, 1847. 

The undersigned. Major General Scott, general-in-chief of the 
armies of the United States of America, has received the report of 
the commissioners appointed by him, yesterday, to meet the com- 
missioners appointed by his excellency. General Landero, the com- 
mander-in-chief of Vera Cruz and the casde of San Juan dc Ulloa. 

In making that report, the undersigned received, informally, from 
his commissioners, the projet of an arrangement presented to them 
by the Mexican commissioners, consisting of six articles. Without 
reproducing those articles in extenso, the undersigned will simply 
refer to them by their respective numbers. 

Art. 1. Is wholly inadmissible. The garrisons of the places in 
question, can only be allowed to march out, or to evacuate them as 
prisoners of war ; but the undersigned is willing that each garrison, 
without distinction between regular troops and national guards or 
militia, may retire, in the delay of — days to their respective homes 
— the officers giving for themselves and their respective men, the 
usual parole of honor not again to serve against the United States of 
America in the present war, until duly exchanged. 

Art. 2. The garrisons may be allowed all the honors of war 
usually allowed to gallant troops ; but to surrender their arms of 
every sort, save the side arms of tlie officers. 

Art. 3. As fiu- as practicable by the commissioners of the two 
armies, this may be arranged to satisfy the just pride of the gallant 
defenders of the places in question. 

Art. 4. Is readily agreed to, and may be solemnly promised. 

Art. 5. This is substantially met in the above remark under 
article one. 

Art. 6. Not admissible in any case. 



240 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

Taking the foregoing remarks and the instructions of the under- 
signed to his commissioners — which instructions were substantially 
communicated to the Mexican commissioners — as the basis of an 
honorable capitulation, the undersigned, to spare the further elfusion 
of blood, is willing to refer back the whole subject to the same com- 
missioners of the two parties, provided tliat the said commissioners 
meet again to day at ten o'clock, A. M., at the same place as yester- 
day, and proceed without delay to a definite conclusion of the whole 
subject. 

The undersigned will wait the answer of his excellency. General 
Landero, up to ;iine o'clock this day, and, in the mean time renews 
the assurances of his high respect and consideration. 

WiNFiELD Scott. 

The terms upon which the city surrendered are as follows : 

1. The whole garrison or garrisons, to be surrendered to the arms 
of the United States, as prisoners of war, the 29th instant, at ten 
o'clock, A. M. ; the garrison to be permitted to march out with all 
the honors of war, and to lay down their amis to such officers as 
may be appointed by the general-in-chief of the United States armies, 
and at a point to be agreed upon by the commissioners. 

2. Mexican officers shall preserve their arms and private efleeis 
including horses and horse furniture, and to be allowed, regular and 
irregular, as also the rank and file, five days to retire to their re- 
spective homes on parole, as hereinafter described. 

3. Coirtcident with the surrender, as stipulated in article 1, the 
Mexican flags of the various forts and stations shall be struck, saluted 
by their own batteries ; and immediately thereafter. Forts Santi:igo 
and Conception, and the castle of San Juan de Ulloa, occupied by 
the forces of the United States. 

4. The rank and file of the regular portion of the prisoners to be 
disposed of after surrender and parole, as their oeneral-in-chief may 
desire, and the irregular to he permitted to ri'tuni to their homes. 
The officers in respect to all arms and description of force, giving 
the usual parole, that the said rank and file, as well as themselves, 
shall not servo again until duly exchanged. 

5. All the material of war, and all public property of every de- 
scription found in the city, the castle of San Juan do Ulloa and their 




m^ 



b' ^u>^/^c^^<>C- "' 'C'^ '^ . 



SIEGE OF VERA CRUZ. 241 

dependencies, to belong to the United States ; but the armament of 
the same (not injured or destroyed in the further prosecution of the 
actual war) may be considered as liable to be restored to Mexico 
by a definite treaty of peace. 

6. TJie sick and wounded Mexicans to be allowed to remain in 
the city with such medical officers and attendants and officers of the 
army as may be necessary to their care and treatment. 

7 Absolute protection is solemnly g\iarantied to persons in the 
city, and to property ; and it is clearly understood that no private 
building or property is to be taken or used by the forces of the 
United States, without previous arrangement with the owners, and 
for a fiiir equivalent. 

8. Absolute freedom of religious worship and ceremonies, is 
solemnly guarantied. 

The following incidents connected with this brilliant national tri- 
umph, we collect from letters of various gentlemen, all eye witnesses 
to the facts which they relate, and all sharers in llieir dangers and 
glories. 

•' On the morning of the 1 1th, the column of General Twiggs 
moved up with the mounted rifles in advance, to take position on the 
left of the line. The undertaking was a most arduous one, but with 
General Twiggs there is no such word as fail. When his cannon 
could not be hauled by horses, they were pulled and lifted by his 
men. and they were taken up and over sand ridges that I should 
think it utterly impossible, and beyond the physical strength of men 
to surmount. The advance of this column arrived at their destina- 
tion on the sea shore, above the town about two o'clock, and the 
rear closed up at sundown. 

The place is now entirely circumscribed, the entire investing 
line occupying a space of eight miles in length. As the troops lay 
stretched along the hills and valleys, with the stars and stripes 
dotted here and there, fluttering in the breeze, they present to the 
view a majestic and sublime appearance. The enemy are now 
completely within our grasp. General Worth occupies the right, 
General Twiggs the left, and General Patterson the centre." 

" At 4 o'clock P. M. of the 22d, the American battery consist- 
ing of seven mortars, commenced the bombardment of the city. 
31 



242 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

The shells fell into the place after the first fires, and exploded with 
as much precision as could be desired. The city from one end to 
the other soon became enveloped in a cloud of smoke — the vivid and 
lurid flashes of the artillery, from their city batteries, breaking through 
it at brief intervals, and report after report followed each other in 
quick succession until after the dusk of evening. The shell and 
round shot fell heavy and fast at the inlrenchments behind which 
our batteries were planted. 

As soon as Commodore Perry perceived that the land forces were 
engaged, he ordered Captain Tatnall to attack with the " Mosquito 
Fleet." The captain inquired at what point he should engage. Perry 
emphatically replied — " Wherever you can do the mostexecution, sir." 
Accordingly the litde fleet took position under a point of land known 
as tlie Limekiln, about a mile from the city, and under protection from 
the point blank shot of the castle. They soon opened their fire, and 
were answered by the castle, so that in a little while the powerful 
engines of destruction were in full blast, hurling their dreadful missiles 
into the opposite ranks, in rapid succession ; this continued until 
dark. At 8 o'clock the party in the trenches were relieved. They 
were literally covered with smoke and dust, and so much disfigured 
that they could not be recognized except by their voices. Shell after 
shell exploded in their midst, and shot after shot threw barrels of 
earth from the embankments, over their heads as they lay in the 
trenches. Their escape was almost miraculous. 

Before daylight of the 23d, Captain Tatnall weighed anchor, and 
aided by die clouds which obscured the moon, he approached wiihin 
six hundred yards of the castle. Here he engaged with the fortress, 
and sustained himself for half an hour, when a signal from the Com- 
modore, obliged him to return. This attack is considered one of 
tlie most daring feats, perpetrated before the casde."* 

• The same writer continues, " During the early part of last evening the town 
was lighted up by a building which was set on fire by the bomb-shells. As 
soon as the fire was discovered from our mortar battery, I was very much grati- 
fied to observe the cessation of our fire; for notwithstanding we were en- 
deavoring to destroy their town, or compel them to surrender it with their 
strong holds and fortifications, still humanity would seem to require that a tera- 
pory cessation of hostilities should take place under such circumstances. War 
is terrible in its most modified form; but the besieging of a city like Vera Cruz, 
when we know that we are battering do%vn the houses over some fellow creatures' 



SIEGE OF VERA CRUZ. 243 

The " norther" is thus described by the same pen. 

" Early on the morning of the 26th, it sprung up very suddenly, 
and blew most furiously all day. There was a general commotion 
by sea and land. The rifted clouds flew like sable-winged messen- 
gers of death, through the air; while the lashed ocean, furiously 
piled her crested waves far along the beach. The clouds of sand 
swept like hail across the strand, from hill top to the valley's depth, 
and like the sirocco of die Sahara, filled the air with darkness, and 
man and beast with feelings of dismay. The mariner was tempest 
tost, by the quick surges of the angry deep, and fear might well 
blanch the cheek of the boldest. The soldier cowered low to escape 
tlie drifting sand, which, in almost impalpable particles, penetrated 
even the smallest apertures. Tents were hfted from their positions, 
and in many instances literally torn into ribands, while clothing and 
camp equipage were strewn in confusion for miles aroimd." 

The particulars of Colonel Harney's " dragoon fight" are as 
follows : — 

" Information was received in camp this morning that a body of 
Mexicans were hanging on our rear, intending to force the lines if 
possible, and make their way into the city with a number of cattle. 
Colonel Harney, with one hundred and twenty dragoons, was ordered 
out in search of them, and ordered to report his observations. He dis- 
covered them, about two thousand in number, intrenched at a bridge, 
and supported by two pieces of artillery, three miles from General 
Patterson's head-quarters. Colonel Harney started on his return, in- 
tending to prepare properly and attack them the next morning. But the 
gallant old soldier knowing that delays are dangerous, could not bear 
the idea of leaving the enemy after having come in sight of them, 
without having a brush. Accordingly, he returned to the place, took 
a position where he could watch their movements, and keep his men 
secure from the enemy's fire. The Mexicans commenced firing at 
him, and threw a perfect shower of balls all around him, but without 
injury. Colonel Harney then despatched a messenger to camp for a 

heads, but cannot tell whether wc are destroying soldiers, or women and chil- 
dren •••••» together with the sight of blazing houses, lighting up the church 
spires and domes of the prominent buildings, with the families moving about on 
the tops of the houses in the utmost consternation, and even despair, cannot 
do otherwise than excite a feeling of commiseration." 



SIEGE OF VERA CRUZ. 245 

small reinforcement and some artillery to break the breastworks. He 
was reinforced from General Patterson's division, by Lieutenant 
Judd, with two pieces of artillery, about sixty dragoons, dismounted, 
and six companies of the first and second Tennessee Volunteers, 
under the command of Colonel Haskell, accompanied by General 
Patterson in person, although he did not take the command from Col- 
onel Harney, but merely participated as any other individual who 
was engaged. 

Colonel Harney then formed the Tennesseeans on the right, his 
dragoons on the left, and advanced slowly, to draw the fire of the 
Mexicans, until Lieutenant Judd got his artillery in such a position 
as he desired. The movement succeeded admirably: Lieutenant 
Judd got his ground within one hundred and fifty yards of the Mexi- 
cans, and commenced firing — they attempted to return it, but as soon 
as a slight breach was made in the parapet, Colonel Harney ordered 
a charge, which was answered by a yell from the dragoons and 
Tennesseeans. Colonel Haskell, Captain Cheatham and Captain 
Foster were the first men to leap over the breastwork, and, as a naval 
oflScer remarked, who witnessed the whole afiair, the balance went 
over so much " like a thousand of brick," that there was no telling 
who was first or last. As might have been expected, the Mexicans 
were unable to stand a charge from " the boys who stood the fire of 
the Black Fort at Monterey." A few of the incumbrances were soon 
thrown out of the way, and Colonel Harney witli his dragoons, 
leaped the breastwork and gave chase. 

He had not proceeded more than a mile before he found the enemy 
formed in line to receive him. He immediately deployed, and 
from the head of the line ordered a charge. When he approached 
within about twenty yards of the enemy's line they gave him a fire 
from their side arms, but overshot. Then came the test of strength 
and skill — the dragoon with sword in hand, met the confiding lancer, 
with pointed lance, ready to receive him. Tlie contest was but for 
a short time. In many instances, lances were twisted from their 
clenched hold ; the Mexicans were unsaddled and driven helter-skel- 
ter in every direction, and pursued by the dragoons in dcUichments. 

Colonel Harney and several of his oflicers met their men in single 
combat, but none of them received any injury except Lieutenant 



246 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

Neill, adjutant of the regiment, who was wounded severely in two 
places from his magnanimity in attempting to capture a Mexican in 
stead of killing him. In full run he overtook, the retreating Mexican, 
and placing his sword in front of him, commanded him to surrender, 
whereupon the Mexican drove his lance into liis magnanimous ad- 
versary. As the lieutenant wheeled his horse to despatch him, 
another Mexican charged up and struck him with a lance. However, 
severely wounded as he was, in two places, he conquered one of his 
foes, and a corporal came up in time to settle accounts with the other. 

In this affair Colonel Harney had four wounded and one killed. 
Lieutenant Judd had one killed ; and the Tennesseeans had Messrs, 
Fox, Long, Woodly, and one other of Captain McCown's company, 
whose name I could not ascertain, wounded. Mr, Young, a Texan 
Ranger, who was acting as guide, was also wounded slighdy. Nine- 
teen Mexicans were found dead at the bridge behind the breastwork. 
Colonel Harney killed fifty and wounded about the same number. 
The Mexican force was near 2000 ; Colonel Harney's about 500. 

Colonel Haskell, Captains Cheatans, Foster, Snead, Lieutenant 
Judd and all the officers and men in the command are spoken of in 
the very highest terms by Colonel Harney, for their gallant con- 
duct throughout the whole affair. 

General 'I'wiggs was appointed governor of the city of Vera 
Cruz and casde of San Juan de UUoa, and under his energetic govern- 
ment, order and tranquillity were soon established. General Scott 
used every means in his power to conciliate the inhabitants, and in- 
spire them with friendly feelings toward the Americans. After the 
capitulation he requested a personal interview with those of the garri- 
son, who had distmguished themselves in the defence, and after com- 
plimenting them highly for their bravery, he dismissed them witliout 
parole. With the same object in view, he issued the following 
proclamation. 

MAJOii-GEyKUAL Scott, General-in-chief of the armies of the United States 
of America, to the good people of Mexico. 

'^Mexicans ! — At the head of a powerful army soon to be doubled. 

a pari of which is advancing upon your capital— and with another 

army with Major-Gcnoral Taylor, in march from Sallillo toward 

San Luis Potosi — I think myself called upon to address you. 



SllXii: OF \ER\ CliUZ. 247 

Mexicana J — Americans arc not your enemies, but the enemies 
for a time, of those men who, a year ago misgoverned you, and 
brought about tliis unnatural war between two great repubUcs. "We 
arc tlie friends of the peaceful inhabitants of the country we occupy, 
and the friends of your holy religion, its hierarchy and its priesthood. 
The same church is found in all parts of our own country, crowded 
with devout Catholics, and respected by our government, laws and 
people. 

For the cluirch of Mexico, tlie unoiTendinf^ inhabitants of the 
country, and their property, I have from the first done everything in 
my power to place them under the safeguard of wu/r/iV// law, against 
the few bad men in this army. 

My orders, to that effect, known to all, arc precise and rigorous. 
Under them several Americans have already been punished by fine, 
for the benefit of Mexicans, besides imprisonment, and one for a rape, 
has been hung by the neck. 

Is this not a proof of good faith and energetic discipline ? Other 
proofs shall be given as often as injuries to ^lexicans may be detected. 
On the other hand, injuries committed by individuals or parties of 
Mexico not belonging to the public forces, upon individuals, small 
parties, trains of wagons and teams, or of pack mules, or any other 
persons or property belonging to this army, contrary to the laws of 
war, shall be punished with rigor ; or if the particular offenders be 
not delivered up to the Mexican authorities, the punishment shall 
fall upon entire cities, towns or neighborhoods. 

Let, then, all good Mexicans remain at home, or at their peaceful 
occupation ; but they are invited to bring in for sale, horses, mules, 
beef, cattle, corn, barley, wheat, flour for bread, and vegetables ; cash 
will be paid for every thing this army may take or purchase, and 
protection will be given to all sellers. The Americans are strong 
enough to offer these assurances, which should Mexicans wisely 
accept, this war may soon be happily ended, to the honor and 
advantage of both belligerents. Then the Americans having con- 
verted enemies into friends, will be happy to take leave of Mexico 
and return to their own country." 

After the capitulation every thing remained quiet in the city, until 
the commencement of June, when the movements of Santa Anna, 



248 



LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 



seemed to indicate an intended attack upon it. The designs of the 
dictator were however unknown, but it was more probable that he 
would direct his attention more to the defence of the capital, than to 
an assault on an impregnable city. 

On the 21st of March a detachment of Commodore Perry's fleet, 
under Captain Hunter, appeared before the town of Alvarado, and 
demanded its surrender. Notwidistanding the many advantages of 
the garrison, the demand was complied with, and the town capitulated 
without tiring a gun. The lieutenant was subsequently called to 
account, and censured for having exceeded his authority and disobey- 
ed orders in this affair. His punishment was a dismissal from the 
squadron, then actively engaged before the enemy. 





Wi: 



'v^ 




■i?^f?.^ 




National Bridge. 

CHAPTER XIV. 

M&itU of ^itxva Sotlio. 




20,000 lnH>i)s iiiuler Saiila Ann 



32 



N the 8th of April tlie 
American army left Vera 
Cruz, and marclied for 
the interior. On the 
17lli they enooimtered 
tlie Mexicans at Sierra 
Gordo, a strong mountain 
.^ pass situated on the main 
' road to the capital, be- 
tween Vera Cruz and 
.Talap:i. It had been 
stroniily forlitied, and was 
occupied by more than 
Tlie position completely com- 
249 



250 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

mands a defile through which a carriage road is cut, as well as the 
heights in the neighbourhood. This circumstance rendered it an 
excellent military position from which to impede the progress of an 
enemy, attempting to penetrate to the capital. 

On the principal hill, which is called the Telegrapho, the Mexi- 
cans constructed a parapet commanding the front and sides, thus 
opening upon the principal roads and forming the centre of their 
camp. The carriage road situated to the right of the Cerro del 
Telegrapho, and following a curve formed by the base of it, was cut 
at a point where the defile was deepest. Behind tliis at a short 
distance was constructed a parapet, which followed a direction 
almost parallel with the road, and completely commanding it. This 
was constructed solely for the infantry, and as a position for the bat- 
tery of the glacis. On the right of the carriage road, is a road lead- 
ing from this battery to three heights, about a mile from the Cerro 
del Telegrapho. This was fortified to impede ihe passage by the 
old road leading from the Plan del Rio, and for the purpose of attack- 
ing by the left, the carriage road. These three heights were manned 
by tlie Mexicans, the advanced lines of the left, centre and right ; and 
in addition to them, a reserve was posted in a defile through which 
the road passes, half a mile west of the battery of the glacis, the 
tierra caliente or low level, terminates at the Plan del Rio, the site 
of the American camp. From this place the road ascends in a long 
circuit among lofty hills, whose commanding points had all been 
fortified and garrisoned by the enemy. Thus the intrenchments of 
the Mexican right rested on a precipice that overhung an impassable 
ravine, forming the bed of the Rio Frio or Cold river, and extended 
continuously to the road, on which was placed a formidable battery. 
On the opposite side was the lofty and difiicult height of Sierra 
Gordo, commanding the approaches in all directions. The main 
body of the Mexican army was encamped on level ground, with a 
battery of five pieces, half a mile on the height toward Jalapa. 

After examining these difficulties, Genenil Scott resolved to push 
daily reconnoissances towards the enemy's position, in order to open 
a route to doboiich on the Jalapa road, while the main army attacked 
the enemy's left and rear. This was an arduous undertaking. The 
road had to be made along difficult slopes, over deep chasms, and 



RATTLF. OF SIERRA fJORDO. 251 

jutting precipices. It was begun by Lieutenant Rcaurcgard, and 
continued by Captain Lee of the engineers, who advanced undis- 
covered to the Mexican lines, wlien further reconnoissance became 
impossible, without an action. The Jalapa road, the destined point of 
debouchure was not therefore gained, diough believed to be near. It 
was now evident that to reach that point, and cut off the expected 
retreat, the army must storm Sierra Gordo. 

Tlie dispositions for the attack were promptly made by the Ame- 
rican commander. On the 17th, General Twiggs's division, rein- 
forced by that of General Shields, was thrown into position, and 
attacked by the Mexicans while taking up the ground to bivouac 
with the opposing height for the heavy battery. The action was 
begun by a company of seventh infantry, under brevet Lieutenant 
Gardiner, and continued with spirit and effect for some time. The 
Mexicans fought with fury, and many officers and men of the Ameri- 
cans were killed and wounded. While the fire was hottest. Colonel 
Harney, suddenly poured into action, with his column of riflemen; 
and before liis galling fire the Mexicans fled on every side. The 
lieight was immediately occupied, and during the night a battery of 
one twenty-four pounder was placed upon it, together with two 
twenty -four pound howitzers, tlie whole under the superintendence 
of Captain Lee and Lieutenant Hagner. Next morning the guns 
were opened and served with effect by Captain Steptoe and Lieu- 
tenant Brown of the third artillery, and Lieutenants Ilagner and 
Seymore, first artillery. 

The same night, with extreme toil and difliculty, an eight inch 
howitzer was put in position across the river, opposite the enemy's 
right battery. Major Burham of New York, witli four volunteer 
companies, performed this creditable service, the whole being super- 
intended by Lieutenants Tower and Laidly. 

Early on the morning of the 18th, the American columns moved 
to the general attack. Pillow's brigade assaulted the right of the in- 
trenchments, but was obliged to retire. General Twiggs's division, 
was ordered to storm the strongest position of the enemy — that of 
Siena Gordo ; and on the result of this assault, the fate of the battle 
hung. The troops advanced steadily and rapidly, amid a tremendous 
fire, pierced the centre, gained command of all the intrenchments 



253 



LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR, 




and cut them off from support. Colonel Riley s brigade of infantry 
now pushed on ni^ainst the main body of the enemy, and ilie g^uiis 
of their own fort were soon turned to play on that portion under the 
immediate command of Santa Anna. Meanwhile General Shields 
assaulted tlie left, and carried llie rear battery of live ouns, .situnled 
on tlie Jalapa road, thus completing the rout of tlie enemy. 

Wiien the fate of the battle was decided, the cavalry, attended by the 
batteries of Wall and Taylor, were pushed on towards Jalapa. Tlie 
pursuit was hot, and many of the Mexicans were killed or wounded. 



BATTLE OF S1P:RRA GORDO. 



253 



This victory w.is decisive, ihe Mexican army being utterly dis- 
organized. Its immediate consequences were, the possession of 
Jalapa, the abandonment of La Haya, a most important pass between 
Vera Cruz and the capital, and the prompt occupation by Worth's 
division of the fortress of Perote, with its extensive armament of 
sixly-six guns, and mortars, together with a large quantity of other 
BuppUes. 

The whole American force present at Sierra Gordo was 8,500 
men; their loss was 33 officers, and 398 men — in all 431, of 
whom 63 were killed. The force of the enemy was estimated at 
12,000, and the loss at 1000 or 1200. 

On the same day that the Americans gained the victory of Sierra 
Gordo, the town of Tuspan was captured after a slight resistance, 
by a portion of the Gulf squadron, under Commodore Perry ; and 
on the following day the city of .Talapawas taken without opposition 
by General Twiggs. 




From this place General Scott issued a second proclamation to 
the Mexican nntion. similar ii tone to liis previous one, and with 



254 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

an additional argument for the Mexicans' attention, drawn from the 
results of Sierra Gordo. It was issued on the 11th of May, and 
reached the city of Mexico on the 19th. Although severely de- 
nounced in most of the journals, as an attempt at prevarication and 
Mexican dishonor, it is said to have been productive of considerable 
effect among the intelligent portion of the population ; and indeed 
the style and scope of it are such as are likely to prove acceptable 
to the nation at large. 

On the 15th, a portion of the American army, under General 
Worth, approached Puebla, in which Santa Anna was busily occu- 
pied in obtaining provisions and other necessaries for his army. On 
arriving at the plain of Amasoca, they were met by a body of 
fifteen hundred lancers, and a skirmish ensued, in which three of 
the enemy were killed, and seven wounded. They then broke and 
were hotly pursued by the Americans, who entered the city with- 
out opposition. 

At the retreat of the cavalry Santa Anna left Puebla in haste, and 
proceeded toward the capital, which he entered on the 19di. Here, 
according to report, his reception was any thing but flatteriiig. The 
rabble were exasperated by the late heavy losses, and now deter- 
mined on revenging themselves on the man who had deceived their 
fond hopes, and shown himself incapable of defending them. The 
report however of his being stoned and openly cursed, and of the 
guard being doubled to save his life, is probably an ex;iggeration. 
This is proven by the fact that in a few days he was able to raise 
another large army, with which he proceeded toward the del Rio 
Pass, and commenced fortifications, with a view to oppose the pro- 
gress of General Scott. Accounts of the movements and disposi- 
tion of his army, render it highly probable that we shall soon receive 
intelligence of another Sierra Gordo affair between tlie two com- 
manders. 

Recent news has brought the important intelligence that General 
Cadwallader, of the Pennsylvania regiment, has had a battle with 
a body of Mexican cavalry, and defeated them. We give the par- 
ticulars as received by the mail, together with other interesting 
movements of portions of the army. 

On the 8th of July, a small recoimoitering party, together with 



BATTLE OF SIERRA GORDO. 255 

some citizens and disbanded soldiers, in number about one hundred 
and fifty, with seventy-five armed men and thirty mounted, left Puebla 
for Vera Cruz. This party was under command of Captain liain- 
bridgc, of third artillery. On leaving Jalapa and getting near .Sierra 
Gordo, this party was informed that it would not be prudent to go 
tlirough the pass, as there were four thousand Mexicans in the chap- 
paral along tlie pass. Previous to this the officers who had gone to 
the rear of the train, were fired at from the cliapparal, at the mouth 
of the pass. 

The party was organized and marched through without meeting 
an enemy, and arrived at the bridge that evening. While they 
were bivouacking on the otlier side of the bridge, being so fatigued 
tliat they were unable to furnish a guard, they were informed that 
some persons were barricading the bridge. A guard was tlien sta- 
tioned below the bridge and the encampment, to prevent the party 
being surprised. 

At this time, signal lights on the ridges and cliffs were distmctly 
seen. Before daylight the scouting party were sent out, and also 
a party to clear the bridge, which was done without any opposi- 
tion. 

The main body of the party dien passed over the bridge. Every 
thing then appeared to be safe ; and all danger being passed, Lieu- 
tenant Mc Williams and Mr. Frazer were sent back to bring on the 
train on the other side of the bridge. As tliey were entering the 
bridge a party of about twenty-five Mexicans appeared on the 
britlge, and fired several vollies on them. The wagon master and 
four others, who were passiiig the bridge, were fired on, and the 
whole five were killed, and the wagon captured. It was of no 
great value. 

After the fire had ceased, a party of lancers appeared on the 
bridge, and seemed to be prepared to charge, but seeing that Cap- 
tain IJainbridge's party were preparing to receive diem, they wheeled 
their horses and galloped off, Bainbridge pursued his march in good 
order, followed by four hundred or five hundred foot lancers, who 
hung upon his rear and flanks for four or five miles, but at a respect- 
ful distance. Thus hemmed in, tins little party pursued its way 



256 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

until it arrived where Colonel Mcintosh had encamped with his 
train. 

The Mexicans who had attacked Bainbridge's party, were the 
same who had compelled Colonel Mcintosh to lialt and wait rein- 
forcements. The party remained that night in ^Mcintosh's camp, 
and during the whole time the Mexicans kept a continual fire on 
the camp, approacliing with the greatest boldness to ven,' near our 
sentinels. 

On the next day Captain Bainbridge's party resumed its march 
to Vera Cruz, being joined by Captain Duperus's United States dra- 
goons, who were sent back to their horses. This company, witli 
its gallant captain, behaved very handsomely at the attack on 
Mcintosh's camp ; indeed it was generally admitted that Colonel 
Mcintosh's command was saved by the gallantry of Duperus's 
party. 

Captain Bainbridge's party continued their march to Vera Cruz, 
where they arrived in safety. 

In the mean time, Duperus's party having a long return train to 
guard, and being threatened by a large party of lancers, halted at 
Santa Fe, where they were charged by a greatly superior force, 
which they gallantly repulsed, killing many of the enemy and suf- 
fering no loss themselves. It was said, however, that some of our 
wagons were cut off and the drivers were taken prisoners. Captain 
Duperus arrived safely in Vera Cruz, having lost three men killed, 
and three wounded. 

On the day Captain Bainbridge's party left Mcintosh's camp. 
General Cadwallader had arrived with a force of eight hundred 
men and two howitzers, under command, and pushed on towards 
the National Bridge. On approaching the bridge. General Cadwal- 
lader occupied the heights commanding the bridge, from which the 
enemy had fired on Captain Bainbridge's party, where he was 
attacked by a large force of the Mexicans, posted on the ridges and 
in the chapparal, and some hard fighting was carried on for several 
hours, the Mexicans losing over one hundred men, and General 
Cadwallader losing some fifteen killed, and some thirty or forty 
wounded : the Mexicans were repulsed. 



RATTLK OF SlHlUtA (iORUO. 257 

The bridge was succcssfuliy passed by General Cadwallader, 
who was on his way to Jalapa. 

The estimated loss of Colonel Mcintosh's party was about four 
thousand dollars. The road for miles was strewed with empty 
boxes and bacon sides, which had been captured by tlie enemy. 

There was a great deal of dissatisfaction in the army respecting the 
command which had charge of the train. There will be a court of 
inquiry into the subject. 

The garrison of Jalapa has been broken up by order of General 
Scott, and all the sick and government stores have been sent to Perote 
Castle, so that this line of communication is entirely closed. General 
Scott has had a road opened from Perote to Tuspan, from which, in 
future all our stores and men will be sent. 

The success of the attack on Mcintosh's command has given great 
confidence to the guerillas, who are swarming in great numbers 
through the country, and attacking all our parties large and small. 

It was chiefly owing to the gallantry of Captain Bennett, the pay- 
master, that the specie wagons in charge of the party were saved. 
He was in one of them himself when the wagon was attacked, and 
fought like a tiger. 

There are about one thousand men encamped at Vera Cruz. 
General Shields was at Jalapa, and was about to leave for the United 
States, when he received an order from General Scott to join him at 
Puebla. 

There are no preparations to defend any point between Puebla and 
the capital ; all the odds and ends of this army are collected in the 
city, about twenty thousand in number, but poorly armed, and are 
miserably provided for. 

There was a small pronnnciamento at the city of Mexico. It 
was early put down by General Bustamente. It was got up by 
factions of the populace party, and Gomez Farias party. Their cry 
was "Down with Santa Anna," but the president ad interim still 
maintains his power and influence. 

Congress had refused to accept his resignation. 

We have about six thousand men at Puebla, under command of 
Worth and Quitman. General Scott will remain at Puebla until he 
is reinforced. 

33 



258 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

General Bravo is in command of the army at the capital. 

Since the above was written, we have learned that in the affair 
between General Cadwalader and the Mexicans at the National 
Bridge, the company of Lieutenant Blakely, of the newly-raised vo- 
lunteers, with two howitzers, charged the barricades and swept them 
with a few discharges from the howitzers. 

In passing through, however. Lieutenant Blakely received a heavy 
fire from the enemy on the ridge wliicli commands the road, by 
which he sustained a loss of one killed, and four wounded, the lieu- 
tenant himself being wounded in the leg. They also lost several 
horses. The heights were then charged on the right and left of the 
road and gallantly carried, the enemy flying before them in great 
confusion. 

When General Cadwalader had passed the bridge, he was at- 
tacked by a large party of guerillas, who kept up a continual fire on 
his men for a long distance. 

At Sierra Gordo, it was thought from reports of heavy firing that 
the enemy had made a stand in great numbers, though no apprehen- 
sions were entertained for the safety of General Cadwalader's com- 
mand, who was moving in a bold and steady manner — the only way 
to deal with the Mexicans. 

Captain Gates's company of third dragoons was sent by General 
Cadwalader to the rear, to reinforce the guards of the train, who 
were attacked by a large force of lancers, which they repulsed with 
considerable loss. 

There is much sickness in Vera Cruz, but very little in the 
castle. 

General Cadwalader is much praised for the energy and prompt- 
ness of his movements to the rescue of Colonel Mcintosh, and for 
the bravery and skill with which he scattered the swarms of guerillas, 
grown confident by the success of their previous enterprises. 

General Scott was at Puebla at the last accounts. The editors 
of El Arcoiris had received dates from the capital up to the 2d of 
June. 

Santa Anna had a second time sent in his resignation of the presi- 
dency. Congress had not, up to that time, accepted it. He had also 
made a formal resignation of his office as commander-in-chief of the 



BATTLE OF SIERRA GORDO. 259 

army, which, like his resignation of the presidency, remained in 
abeyance. 

Five Mexican generals, whose names are not given, have been 
arrested, and sent to the different states for confinement. 

The gallant Captain Walker has commenced his work of retalia- 
tion on the guerillas. On the morning of the 8th instant, he started 
with his command from Perote, on an expedition some distance into 
the interior. During the expedition he succeeded in capturing nine 
guerillas and an alcalde. He has employed them in clearing the 
streets and sinks. 

A letter had been received in Vera Cruz on the 1 5th instant, pre- 
vious to the sailing of the Galveston, direct from die head-quarters of 
General Scott, stating that General Scott had issued orders for the 
removal of the prisoners from Vera Cruz to Tuspan. This change 
was said to be pardy owing to the sickness in Vera Cruz, and because 
communications could be more easily kept up between Tuspan and 
Puebla, than between the latter place and Vera Cruz. 

The same mail informs us that Generals Scott and Worth, with 
the main body of the army, had advanced as far as Rio Frio, with- 
out opposition, when they were met by a deputation from the capital, 
bearing propositions of peace. The exact tenor of these propositions 
is not known ; but they were of such a nature, that General Scott 
refused to accept them, and determined to push on his forces for the 
capital. General Herrara is understood to have been elected presi- 
dent, and from the deep anxiety felt by the new government to stay 
the approach of the Americans, it is thought that further concessions 
would be made to General Scott before he took up his hne of march 
from Rio Frio. 

Such are the principal occurrences in the Mexican war up to the 
present time. The languor which has characterized the operations of 
the last month, will probably soon be broken, either by the news of 
peace or of another severe engagement. All the active operations, 
are confined to General Scott, as Taylor is now cramped by want 
troops, and of the necessary supplies for his small army. 

At the present time (August 1 847,) it appears by the most recent 
dates from Mexico, that the government of tliat country have ap- 
pointed or are about to appoint commissoners to negotiate a treaty 



^60 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

of peace. This demonstration may be the resuU of a sincere desire 
for peace, or of a determination to gain time, by an apparent wil- 
lingness to grant what oiir government evidently desires. Insincerity, 
treachery and bad faith have marked the conduct of the Mexicans 
throiiffhout the war ; and every fact, connected with the contest, goes 
to prove that it is in vain to parley with them. In negotiation they 
have recourse to such deceit, that we are no match for them ; but in 
the field they are no match for us. Whenever a peace is concluded 
Ave shall obtain from them whatever we are able to gain by a demon- 
stration of unquestionable power ; strong and decisive measures are 
the on.y ones which can bring the Mexicans to a sense of their true 
position, and make them yield to the demands of justice. So long 
as they can amuse us, and delay active operations by delusive nego- 
tiations about peace, the war will be protracted ; but when it is per- 
ceived by them that further disasters cannot be arrested but by 
submission, then peace will ensue. 





CHAPTER XV. 



tms^m^^^, 





not the oiiiv \r\ 



EN E UAL TAVr.OR has re- 
mained diiruig the last few 
months, for the most part at his 
he:id-qiiartprs near Monterey, 
awaiiinff reinforcements, neces- 
sary to enable him to advance 
on San Luis Poto^i. This 
must be sufficiently trying to a 
commander of so active a dia- 
'^&. position, at a moment when 
^ the state of the war calls for 
active measures. But this is 
patience has been recently subjected. 
2GI 



262 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

General Villamil, the Mexican commander at San Luis Potosi, ad- 
dressed to him in the montli of May, a letter of a peculiarly insulting 
character, the tenor of which will appear by the answer of General 
Taylor, which we give below. This answer is highly characteristic 
of the general, evincing at once his firmness and moderation, together 
with that high bred courtesy, which even under the most exasperat- 
ing circumstances ever marks the true gentleman. 

The answer of General Taylor to General Villamil is as follows : 

Head-Quarters, nf.au Mo.vtehet, Mai/ 19///, 1847. 

Sir — I received yesterday your communication of the 20th instant, 
which informs me that you are instructed by the President substi- 
tute of the republic to address me, with a view to demand from me 
a categorical reply — " whether my wishes and my instructions are 
to prosecute the war in conformity to the laws of nations and as war 
is conducted by civilized countries, or as barbarous tribes carry it 
on among themselves, it being understood that Mexico is disposed 
and resolved to accept the manner which is proposed or carried out, 
and awaits the result in order to dictate its measures accordingly." 

If these instructions were not communicated to me through an 
authority as highly respectable as yourself, 1 should refuse to believe 
Ihey emanated from the chief magistrate of the republic, containing, 
as in fact they do contain, in my judgment, an implied but not less 
deliberate insult towards me and towards the government which I 
have the honor to represent. Viewing them in this light, I shall 
decline giving the categorical reply which is demanded of me, which 
I do with the respect due to his excellency tlie president. 

As you have thought fit to communicate to me the instructions of 
your government at some length upon the manner in which the war 
has been carried on upon my part, I improve this opportunity to 
make some remarks upon the subject. 

The outrages to which especial reference is made, came to my 
knowledge after they had been perpetrated, and I can assure you 
that neither yourself nor the President of the republic can have felt 
deeper pain, than that which I felt on the occasion. All the means 
at my disposal within the limits of our laws were employed, but in 
the greater number of cases fruitlessly, to identify and punish the 



Li:r'n;u ro vii.lamil. 2G3 

delinquents. 1 c.iiiiiul suppose lluit you have been so ill-informed, 
as to believe such atrocities were committed by my connivance, 
order, or consent, or that tlxi^y by themselves give an idea of the 
manner in which the war has been prosecuted in this part of Mexico. 
They were in trutii unfortunate exceptions, caused by circumstances 
which I could not controj. 

It appears to me in point to inform you, that from the moment 
the American army set foot upon the territory of Mexico, it has 
suffered individually, the loss of officers and soldiers who have been 
assassinated by Mexicans, sometimes almost in sight of their own 
camp. An outrage of this character preceded the melancholy affair of 
Catana. I do not mention these truths with the view of justifying in 
any manner, the practice of retaliation, because my government is 
sufficiently civilized to make a distinction between the lawless acts of 
individuals, and the general policy which governs the operations of 
an enemy ; but you have endeavored to make a comparison between 
our respective governments in regard to the manner in which they 
conduct the war, which I cannot pass without remark. In this con- 
nection, it should be borne in mind tliat the Mexican troops have 
given to the world the example of killing the wounded upon tlie field 
of battle. 

As you have adverted to the requisition which I have made upon 
the people of these states to make indemnity for the losses incurred 
by the ilestruction of one of our trains, I take the liberty of informing 
you that this was not the act of the Mexican troops exclusively, but 
that the rancheros of the country were chiefly concerned in it ; and 
that the subsequent assassination and mutilation of the unarmed 
teamsters were marked by an atrocious barbarity unequalled in the 
present war. 

It is with pain that I find myself under tlie necessity of address- 
ing you in a manner to which I am little accustomed ; but I have 
been provoked to do so by the object and the manner of your com- 
munication, which is objectionable, in my estimation, as well in its 
insinuations as in its tone. With respect to the implied threat of 
retaliation, I beg you to understiand that I hold it at its true worth, 
and that I am at all times prepared to act accordingly, whatever may 



264 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

be the policy or mode of carrying on the war which the Mexican 
government or its generals may think it proper to adopt 
I am, sir, with much respect, your obedient servant. 

During the recent period of inaction, General Taylor has been 
frequently addressed by individuals and committees, in reference to 
his position as an acknowledged candidate for the office of President 
of the United States. His answers to these communications are 
always dignified and patriotic, evincing that with him duty is a 
primary, and office a secondary consideration. If he should ever be 
raised to this elevated situation, it is very evident that he will stamp 
upon the government his own character of energy, firmness and de- 
cision. No party or clicjue will ever direct his movements, or divert 
the straight line of his manly policy. 

In person General Taylor is described as being about five feel 
eight inches high, inclined to corpulency andaUltleround shouldered. 
His weiglit comes up to the standard of the old revolutionary generals, 
most of whom exceeded two hundred pounds. His legs are remark- 
ably short, so that while sitting on horseback, he appears much taller 
than he really is. He has a high forehead, a laughing but penetrating 
eye, and a striking expression of firmness about the mouth. His hair 
is nearly white, and the expression of his countenance is strongly indi- 
cative of the humanity and benevolence which so signally mark his 
character. His habits are remarkably plain, and his style of living, 
simple in the extreme.* He hardly ever appears in full dress, pre- 
ferring a linen roundabout, cotton pantaloons, a straw hat in warm 
weather. In rainy or cold weather, he appears in that Ainious 

* The following description of General Taylor's kitchen, of which we have 
placed a picture at the beginning of this chapter, will serve to illustrate the 
simplicity of his style of living. 

Cavp nkau Monteukv, May 11///, 1847. 

What do you think of this picture of the kitchen of the old general, or rather 
what do you think of the kitchen itself! It is quite a good representation of it. 
Here are barrels, tubs made of old barrels, pails, tin dishes and the good old 
coffee-pot arranged before you, with not a few stumps of old trees, — an odd place 
I assure you is this same kitchen. It is all out of doors, for there is nothing 
but a rude roof, made of slabs, with a few large rocks pulled up beneath 
it on one side, against whicti the fire is made, to keep it from being entirely 
blown away. Don't forget the harness of General Taylor's travelling wagon, 
upon one of the corners of the mess tub, part of which you sec on the right, 
with the interpreter's tent between it and the kitchen. 



CONCLUSION. 2Go 

old brown overcoat, wliich has been worn in so many campaigns, 
and which promises to rival in celebrity the gray surtout of Napo- 
leon. 

General Taylor's character appcai-s so striking in tlie actions 
which we have recorded, and in his admirable correspondence, that 
it seems hardly necessary in the present instance to conform to the 
usual biographical rule of presenting it in the shape of a summary. 

His debut at Fort Harrison evinced the qualities of firmness, pre- 
sence of mind, coolness and indomital)le courage. The long interval 
of camp dnty, which divides this great epoch of his life, from that 
which is marked by the events of the Florida campaign, seems to 
have artbrded him means of acquiring those brilliant military accom- 
pUshments which recent events have developed. lie was a most 
diligent reader of history, tactics and general literature, and much 
of his time was devoted to the cultivation of that admirable talent for 
composition, which appears in his despatches. 

A recent writer* has compared these despatches with those of 
General Greene, in the following remarkable passage. 

" When removed to an independent command in the Southern 
country, Greene at once asserted his claim to the unhesitating honors 
of a grateful country, and the correspondence, presently to be re- 
sumed, will show through what difficulties and embarrassments he 
fought his way, and how resolutely he overcame them all. To Mr. 
Reed, he wrote in the confidence of the most confiding friendship, 
and in what lie writes, either to his confidential friends or his official 
superiors, no one can fail being struck with the simple and manly 
style in which he expresses himself — the homely, plain English, that 
best of idioms formerly thought, telling his own story in the most 
direct form, without a superfluous word or attempt to adorn the 
simple and stern realities which he described. General Greene's 
despatches from South ('arolina during the campaign of 1781, are 
worthy of the same praise which, by common consent, at the mo- 
ment that I am writing, is bestowed on the public and private letters 
from the conqueror of Monterey and Bucna Vista. The curious in- 
quirer may find a further and closer parallel between these gallant 

• William B. Reed, Esq., in his Life of President Reed. 



266 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

men, the soldiers of America's unpretending chivalry, in the em- 
barrassments which perplexed their military career, and in the 
honors won at a comparatively late period of their professional Uves. 
One might have passed away unknown and uncared for in some dis- 
tant frontier garrison, with no higher function than to watch trans- 
planted Indians, but for the accidental necessity or motives of policy, 
which led to his appointment to the Mexican frontier; and Greene 
would have been comparatively unknown to fame, but for his pro- 
motion in the last year of the Revolution, to the command in the 
Carolinas. Such are the accidents that leads to the developement 
and illustration of genius." — Vol. 2, p. 341. 

All the military despatches of General Taylor are characterized 
not only by precision, energy and vivacity, but by a modesty and 
ever present sense of propriety, which have won for him the ad- 
miration of the whole literary world. But his extraordinary merit 
as a writer is not confined to his military letters. When placed in 
circumstances calling for extreme dehcacy of expression, his own 
heart dictates the language of true feeling ; and his style is but an 
index of the noblest sentiments of humanity. 

The following letter addressed to the Honorable Henry Clay, on 
the occasion of the death of his gallant son Lieutenant-Colonel Clay, 
will justify this remark. 

Head-Qcahtehs, Ahmt of Occcpatioit. 

Agua Nueva, Mexico, March Is/, 1847. 

My Dear Sir — You will no doubt have received, before this can 
reach you, the deeply distressing intelligence of the death of your 
son in the battle of Buena Vista. It is with no wish of intruding 
upon the sanctuary of parental sorrow, and with no hope of adminis- 
tering any consolation to your wounded heart, that I have taken the 
liberty of addressing you these few lines ; but I have fell it a duty 
which I owe to the memory of the distinguished dead, to pay a will- 
ing tribute to his many excellent qualities, and while my feelings are 
still fresh to express the desolation which his untimely loss, and that 
of other kindred spirits, have occasioned. 

I had but a casual acquaintance with your son, until he became 
for a time a member of my military family ; and I can truly say, 
that no one ever won more rapidly upon my regard, or estabUshed 



CONCLUSION. 267 

a more lasting claim to my respect and esteem. Manly and honor- 
able in every impulse, widi no feeling but for the honor of the ser- 
vice and of the country, he gave every assurance Uiat in the hour of 
need I could lean with confidence upon his support. Nor was I dis- 
appointed. Under the guidance of himself and the lamented McKee, 
gallantly did the sons of Kentucky, in the thickest of the strife, up- 
hold the honor of the state and of the country, 

A grateful people will do justice to the memory of those who fell 
on that eventful day. But I may be permitted to express the bereave- 
ment which I feel in the loss of valued friends. To your son I felt 
bound by the strongest tics of private regard ; and when I miss his 
familiar face, and tlioseof McKee and Hardin, I can say with truth, 
that I feel no exultation in our success. 

With the expression of my deepest and most heartfelt sympathies 
for your irreparable loss, I remain, my dear sir, most faithfully 
and sincerely, 

Your friend, 

Z. Taylor. 

Hon. Hexrt Clat, New Orleans, La. 

As a military commander. General Taylor is distinguished by 
abilities of the very highest order. His whole career since the com- 
mencement of the Mexican war, has excited the admiration of mili- 
tary men both in this country and in Europe. His foresight and 
his powers of combination are not less remarkable than his boldness 
and decision in taking his attitude before the enemy, and his indomi- 
table firmness in sustaining that attitude to the last. Having once 
adopted his line of operations, no force can intimidate him or move 
his resolution. His march from Point Isabel to Fort Brown, through 
the overwhelming masses of the enemy, evinces this characteristic. 
His powers of com!)ination were not less signally shown at the 
siege of .Monterey, and the ever memoral)le field of Buena Vista. His 
advance from Monterey to fight the last mentioned batde, exhibits 
the capacity for conducting war on a great scale, and deciding the 
fate of a whole campaign by a single masterly stroke of strategy. 
The moral force of his character inspiring confidence among the 
soldiers, appears also with singular brilliancy in this great battle. His 
name on tliat occasion was a " tower of strength." 



268 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

Ilis calmness, readiness' and perfect self-possession amidst the ex- 
citing events of the battle-field, appear conspicuous on all occasions. 
No commander has ever exhibited these qualities in a higher degree. 

General Taylor's conduct towards the soldiers under his command 
is marked by a species of parental kindness, which has gained their 
affections in a remarkable degree. A contemporary writer observes 
that " Many of the traits ascribed to General Taylor have been assi- 
milated by some of his admirers to the leading military characteris- 
tics of Frederick the Great. But, unlike Frederick, Taylor is any- 
thing but a martinet in discipline ; and, though his movements of 
small bodies of troops against vast odds are characterized by the 
vigorous will and iron determination of Frederick, the arbitrary dis- 
position of the Prussian despot is wholly alien to his tolerant and 
candid nature." 

His popularity with soldiers is equal to that of Napoleon ; but he 
has shown himself much more humane and sparing of human life, 
than that illustrious commander. The flag of truce at Buena Vista 
sent to save the lives of the six thousand Mexican cavalry, which 
were menaced by the terrible dragoons of May, proves that his 
humanity is by no means confined to the men of his own army. He is 
ever anxious to spare the unnecessary effusion of blood. 

The following extract from the New York Literary World is- 
given not only to throw further light on the character of General 
Taylor, by the testimony of a personal acquaintance ; but to make 
the reader acquainted with some incidents of his life, which have not 
hitherto been made public. " General Taylor is the American whom 
Carlyle would recognize as 'a hero' worthy of his pen's most elo- 
quent recognition : the max of duty in an age of Self! An Ame- 
rican in everything ; in valor, in strong muscular sense ; in simplicity 
and directness and cordiality of feeling ; an American in everything 
save in devotion to our new political God of Expediency. 

As plain Lieutenant-Colonel Taylor the writer of this has often 
seen ' Old Zach,' putting his men through the battalion drill on the 
northern banks of the Wisconsin in the depth of February. This 
would seem only characteristic of the man who has since proved 
himself equally ' Rough and Ready' under the scorching sun of the 
tropics. But, looking back through long years to many a pleasant 



CONCLUSION. 269 

hour spent in tlie well selected library of the post which Colonel 
Taylor then commanded, we recur now with singular interest to the 
agreeable conversations held in the room which was the colonel's 
favorite resort, amid the intervals of duty. Nor will the reader think 
these personal reminiscences impertinent, when we add that our 
object in recurring to them here is simply to mention that remem- 
berintr alike the wintry drill and the snug book-room, Taylor's hardi- 
hood — the idea of which now so readily attaches to his soubriquet ot 
Rough and Ready — would certainly not then have struck a stranger 
as more characteristic than his liberal-minded intelligence. Remark- 
able sincerity of manner, a dash of humor amid diffident reserve, 
blended with a cordiality that for want of a better phrase we should 
call mesmeric, characterized the mien of the distinguished man, upon 
whom the eyes of all his countrymen are now fixed with such curious 
interest. He was one of those few men who instandy impress a 
stranger with the idea of frankness and reality of character, while still 
suggesting to the imagination that there was much to study in him. 
Above all was it apparent that his singular modesty was genuine — 
was of the soul ; that he was a man whose strong individuality his 
nearest intimates must hesitate to write about and publish to the 
world in terms of praise. And we know the fact that in one instance 
a friend whom the general had obliged, when replying to some news- 
paper disparagement of Taylor's military standing and services at 
the commencement of the Florida war, was deterred by his know- 
ledge of this trait from communicating his article to the subject of it, 
lest the terms of eulogy he had employed might be offensive to 
Taylor. This dislike of puffery, nay, this almost wayward turning 
one's back upon fame is, however, perfecdy consistent with the 
most jealous sense of what is due to one's personal character ; and 
tliat quality General Taylor's published correspondence with the 
Department of War proves he possesses in the most lively degree. He 
there shows that he leaves the laurels of the hero to take care of 
themselves, but that the rights and the character of Zachary Taylor 
must not be tampered with. And this is the quality which will ever 
prevent him from becoming the tool of party. He is a man that 
cannot be used by others save in the line of his duty. A man who 
cannot be approached to be thus used ; for there is sometimes a 



270 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

shrewd fire in the glance of his friendly eye, an epigrammatic hearti- 
ness of response bolting forth amid his taciturnity, that would utterly 
bewilder and confound the ordinary man of the world, who approach- 
ed him with double deaUng phrase, or selfish insincerity of purpose. 
With regard to his personal appearance, of all the portraits of Gene- 
ral Taylor that we have seen, and there is one in each of the volumes 
before us, that published in Graham's Magazine strikes us as de- 
cidedly the best. In some respects it is flattered, and in others it 
hardly comes up to the strongly marked character expressed in the 
face of the original ; as a whole, however, it is far more faithful than 
the others. Its flattery, we imagine, lies in making Taylor younger 
than he now appears. For his looks in the picture are those which 
we recall when seeing him just after the close of the Black Hawk 
campaign, now many years gone by. The stamped medals published 
in this city lately by J. P. Ridner we should think would better re- 
present his present appearance. 

While indulging in these gossiping leferences, which we know will 
interest some of our readers, we may here relate an anecdote of Gen- 
eral Taylor, which we once heard, amid the early scenes of the 
Black Hawk war on Rock river, and which, though never verified 
to our knowledge, still seems most characteristic of the Rough and 
Ready of later years. Some time after Stillman's defeat by Black 
Hawk's band, Taylor, marching with a large body of volunteers 
and a handful of regulars in pursuit of the hostile Indian force, 
found himself approaching Rock river, then asserted by many to be 
the true northwestern boundary of the state of Illinois. The vol- 
unteers, as Taylor was informed, would refuse to cross the stream. 
They were militia, they said, called out for the defence of die state, 
and it was unconstitutional to order them to march beyond its 
frontier into the Indiim country. Taylor thereupon halted his 
command, and encamped within the acknowledged boundaries of 
Illinois. He would not, as the relator of the story said, budge nn 
inch further without orders. He had already driven Black Hawk 
out of the suite, but the question of crossing Rock river seemei 
hugely to trouble his ideas of integrity to the constitution on oni 
side, and military expediency on tiie other. During the night, 
however, orders came, either from General Scott or General At- 



CONCLUSION. 271 

kinson, for him to follow up Black Hawk to the last. The quiet- 
ness of the regular colonel mean while had rather encouraged tlie 
mutinous militia to bring their procceduigs to a head. A sort of 
town meeting was called upon the prairie, and Taylor invited to 
attend. After listening for some time very quietly to the proceed- 
ings, it became Rough and Keady's turn to address the chair. " He 
had heard," he said, " with much pleasure the views which several 
speakers had expressed of the independence and dignity of each 
private American citizen. He felt that all genUemen there present 
were his^ equals — in reality, he was persuaded that many of them 
would in a few years be his superiors, and perhaps, in the capa- 
city of members of Congress, arbiters of the fortune and reputation 
of humble servants jf the republic like himself. He expected 
then to obey them as interpreters of the will of the people ; and 
the best proof he could give that he would obey them, was now to 
observe the orders of those whom the people had already put in 
the places of authority, to which many gentlemen around him justly 
aspired. In plain English, gentlemen and fellow-citizens, the word 
has been passed on to me from Washington to follow Black Hawk, 
and to take you with me as soldiers. I mean to do both. There 
are the flat-boats drawn up on the shore, and here are Uncle Sam's 
men drawn up behind you on the prairie." 

" Stra-anger," added the man who told the story, " the way 
those militia-men sloped into those flat-boats was a caution. Not 
another word was said. Had Zach Taylor been with Van Rensse- 
laer at Niagara river, in the last war, I raythcr think he'd a taught 
him how to get militia-men over a ferry." 

Taylor, as is well known, did follow Black Hawk through the 
prairies of northern Illinois, through the wooded gorges, the rocky 
fells, the plashy rice pools, the hitherto unbroken wilderness of 
western Wisconsin. The militia-men gave out from day to day ; 
the country became impassable to horses, and the volunteer settlers 
who had first seized arms merely to repel an Indian foray, refused 
to submit their backs to the necessary burdens in carrying their own 
supplies through the deep swamps and almost impervious forests. 
At last the very Indians themselves, whom Taylor thus despe- 
rately pursued from day to day, and week to week, began to sink 



272 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

from fatigue and exhaustion : they were found by our men stretched 
beside their trails, while yet the good Anglo-Norman blood of Tay- 
lor's band held out amid sufferings, in the wilderness, which the 
child of the forest himself could not endure. The battle of the 
Bad-Axe, and the rout of Black Hawk, by Taylor, at length termi- 
nated this arduous march. 

The steamer bearing Atkinson and his reinforcements, reached 
the junction of the Bad-Axe and the Mississippi, just as the en- 
counter was over, and we believe brought Taylor along with his 
prisoners, back to Fort Crawford, where, after landing the former, 
she passed on to St. Louis. When we remember the complimen- 
tary reception which Black Hawk met with all along our Atlantic 
border, how strange it seems, that when the name of his captor was 
mentioned as the hero of Okeechobee, his countrymen asked, 
" Who is this Colonel Taylor that has just been brevetted a briga- 
dier ?" Even as it was afterwards asked concerning the hero of Rio 
Bravo, " Who is this Brigadier Taylor, who has so brilliantly earned 
the brevet of major-general?" One might now, without extrava- 
gance, venture to predict that the captor of Black Hawk is as well 
known as was that warrior himself; and that he would probably 
be received by the people in a progress throughout the country, 
with demonstrations of affection and respect, at least equal to those 
which were showered upon the wily Sauk chief, the but too suc- 
cessful rival of the chivalrous, and loyal, and neglected Keokuk." 

The following sketch of General Taylor's domestic life and 
habits, is from the pen of a lady, who has often been a visiter in 
his family : 

" Early in life General Taylor purchased cotton land at Bayou 
Sara, and under tlie care of a good overseer, it yielded him a large 
income. After the Florida war he made rather an unfortunate pur- 
chase of a large plantation, with three hundred slaves, lor which he 
paid $95,000 cash. Since owned by the General it has been twice 
submerged, and subjected him to heavy losses of crops, necessary 
repairs, &;c. In domestic life General Taylor is particularly blessed 
by the simple and unalfected habits of his wife, happily so conge- 
nial to his own. At all army posts where I have seen him, the 
pursuits of the farmer were united witli tliose of the military command- 



CONCLUSION. 273 

ant. At a visit to his lioiisr whilst comiiiaiuHiiff the first infuntry, 
at Prairie du ('liien, the Honorable Charles Murray was also there, 
and tlie presence of the chamberlain of Queen Victoria made no 
change in the regular habits of the General. We breakfasted a 
little after sunrise, dined at one, without silver forks, and relished 
the good sul)slantial fare, served with scrupulous neatness, by faith- 
ful and atiaclied servants. The bacon on the General's table must 
always be mounted on the stack of greeno, according to the old 
Virginia custom. General Taylor is simple in his diet, and an 
exceedingly temperate man. For many years he kept no liquor of 
any kind in his house ; but on the visit named, which is the last I 
have made, wine, brandy, &c., were on the table. His personal 
appearance is by no means military ; inclining to corpulency, the 
trappings of his uniform are irksome and uncomfortable to him. 
His head is well formed, and was once well covered by rich 
black hair ; his eye is penetrating and bold ; his nose well shaped ; 
his mouth not badly shaped, but spoiled by the marked projection 
of the lower lip ; his laugh is hearty and cheerful, displaying a fine 
white set of teeth. Such was his appearance about six years since, 
when on a visit to Philadelphia with Mrs. Taylor to see " Betty," 
and with her, my husband, and myself, to make the northern tour, 
for the first time in his life. This was after the close of the Flo- 
rida war. General Taylor's mind is strong, well read in history, 
and blessed with an excellent memory. He is agreeable in conver- 
sation, but unfortunately when much excited by his subject, stam- 
mers or hesitates for words to express his meaning with sufficient 
siieiigh. He is an economist by nature and habit, cares nothing 
for show in his house or dress, and never yet owned a carri igi; of 
any description. Honest, just, and true to his friends. He is no 
pill 'til- an, but is devoted heart and so il to Hf.nrv Clay." 








<^ 




APl'KXDIX. 



RITING to a Philadelphia paper, a 
correspondent thus describes General 
Taylor : 

" 'I'he General is not over five feet 
seven or eight inches high, is stout, and 
inclines to corpulency, would weigh, I 
sliould think, near two hundred pounds, 
and ihe most prominent thing about him 
is an luiusual shortness of legs. — When 
he is silting he looks like a tall man — not so when standing. His 
face is intelligent, and it is usually lit up with a benevolent smile. 
He is in the habit of eilipsing his left eye. His hair is gray and 
grizzly. In one word, gentlemen, if you can imagine a plain, old 
Pennsylvania farmer, who had a farm paid for worth five thousand 
dollars, and nothing else in the world — an independent, jovial, don't 
care-a-fig kind of an old coon — you have ' old Zack' before you." 

277 




278 LIFK OF GENKRAL TAYLOK. 

A writer to the New Orleans Tropic, is still more summary. 
" A very thick set, farmer-looking old gentleman, in a linen rounda- 
bout, and remarkable for short legs and long body, mounted on a 
snow white charter." This is almost as sententious as Sallust. 



©jncral ^aslor'g Tamils, 

Although the General was bom in Virginia, his time of residing 
in that state was very limited. For a long while he lived in Kentucky, 
and previous to the present war he removed to a country-seat on the 
Mississippi, near Baton Rouge, where his family still reside. The 
Gazette of that place thus describes the situation : 

" It may not be generally known abroad that the residence of 
General Taylor's flimily, is in the handsome cottage-like building, 
romantically situated on the fine bluff fronting the river, and the first 
building which meets the eye to the left upon entering the beautifully 
shaded avenue leading from Lafayette street to the barracks. While 
other places at a distance are contending for the honor of having 
given birth to old ' Rough and Ready,' we can claim the honor of 
numbering his respected family amons: our residents." 



Of all General Taylor's good qualities none are more conspicuous 
than the tenderness of heart, which he has ever exhibited toward 
the soldiers under his command, as well as to the enemy. Like 
Washington, he is engaged in war only from stern necessity, not 
from love of the dear bouglit honors of military glory. Even the 
slight incident of stopping his columns at Palo Alto, in oi-der that the 
men might obtain water, is refreshing : and the following anecdote is 
of the same nature. " The first care of General Taylor was to visit 
the wounded, and sec that every comfort was supplied, the constant 
and well directed energies of the medical department left him but 
little to do ; every one, whether officer or soldier, had been attended 
with unwearied care and watchfulness " 



APPKNUIX. 279 

®ije ©ounciJ at ipiu'.j ;,r,:;. 

" The troops having partaken of tlieir meal, the order was given 
to get the command under arms. General Taylor here summoned 
a council of war, composed of the heads of the different commands, 
in all thirteen, excluding the commander-in-chief. The General, after 
returning thanks for their support and bravery on the 8th, and wish- 
ing to be advised as to what they thought best to be done, called on 
each to give his opinion. It was then ascertained that but four 
were in favor of going ahead, the other officers composing the 
council voted, some to intrench where they were and await the 
assistance of the volunteers, and others to retire at once to Point 
Isabel ; but the general said, '/ will be at Fort Brown before night 
if I live: 

Those who voted for going ahead, as they watclied the counte- 
nance of the General, might have seen the smile of approbation diat 
lighted up the old man's honest face at the moment, though he 
bowed with respect to the opinions of those who difTered from him ; 
and in saying engrave on the sacred banner of the stars and stripes 
the na)nes of Taylor, Mcintosh, Morris, Scott and Duncan, I 
mean no reflection upon those who voted against them — they were 
men tried in many a field before, and their deeds on that day proved 
them equal to the best. 

Lieutenant Ridgely, who was entitled to a vote in the council, was 
at the time in attendance on the lamented Ringgold, and therefore 
had no voice in the matter, but as he galloped up to the battery, on 
returning from his visit to the major, some one said, ' Ridgely, were 
you at the council ?' and he replied ' no, I did not know that one had 
been called, but I hope old Zack will go ahead and bring the matter 
to close quarters.' " 

We have given the address of the General to the volunteers, who 
were a!)Out to leave him for a different scene of the war. That 
parting was an affecting one; but th.e removal of the gallant 
fellows who had endeared themselves to him, amid the dangers of 
Buena Vista, was still more so. As the Mississippi regiment 
marched by him, on its return home, he attempted to address them ; 
but the recollection of their heroism, and the respect and affection 



280- LIFE OF GENEKAL TAYLOR. 

which they were now anxious to pour upon him for the last time, 
overpowered him, and with tears gushing down his aged cheeks he 
exclaimed : — " Go on, boys — go on — / can't speak" 

It will be remembered that while Taylor was marching against 
Santa Anna, most of his troops were withdrawn from him bv Gen- 
eral Scott, and he was compelled to fall back toward Monterey. We 
have given but the bare fact in the narrative ; but it requires little 
imagination to conceive that the feelings of an ordinary military man 
under such circumstances, would be of the most harassing kind. Not 
so with General Taylor. Great in difficulty as in danger, and desti- 
tute of that litde ambition which would sacrifice even personal com- 
fort to the desire of popularity, he showed himself as willing to obey, 
as he had formerly been able to comn^.and. He yielded the price of 
glory and advantage, to his brother officer, without a murmur, and 
quiedy retired to the scene of his former glories. The lesson he 
thus gave to the world might be profitably learned by many of his 
contemporaries, far below him in rank and usefulness. 



©tnjial ©ajUct at ^uena ^igta. 

T. F. Marshall, who conveyed General Scott's requisition to 
Taylor, made the following excellent remarks in a late speech at 
New Orleans. 

" General Taylor fought and won the battle of Monterey. He ad- 
vanced upon Saltillo, and preparatory to a descent upon San Luis 
Potosi and ultimately upon the city of Mexico itself. He had marched 
to Victoria, to discover if there was any other pass in the mountains 
but that of the Rinconada, through which he could advance and avoid 
the waterless desert beyond Buena Vista, or through which the ene- 
my might enter the valley of the Rio Grande and fall upon his rear. 
Whilst this reconnoissance was being made, he (Mr. Marshall) was 
ordered to proceed to General Taylor's camp with despatches. 
These were the despatches which announced to General Taylor that 
the flower of his army was to be taken from him, to operate on a 
new base, and ordered him merely to stand on the defensive. 

Mr. Marshall said, great an opinion as he had formed of General 



APPENDIX. 281 

Taylor before he met him at Victoria, he was totally unprepared for 
the loftiness of character displayed by him on receiving those des- 
patches. He, upon whose crest victory had perched, the lion who 
was preparing for another spring upon the foe, saw without a mur- 
mur that his claws were to be torn from him, that he was to be 
enfeebled to the defensive, and never did he conceive that a great 
soldier, fresh from the field of victories, could submit in the simple, 
uncomplaining manner General Taylor did to orders depriving him 
of his right arm. 

The best of his troops were withdrawn from him. With such as 
were left under his immediate command he retraced his steps to 
Monterey, and shordy after joined General Wool at Saltillo. Dupli- 
cates of the despatches had fallen into the hands of the enemy, and, 
acquainted with the weakness of General Taylor's force, he soon 
made demonstrations indicating an intention to advance and give him 
battle. It was now, Mr. Marshall said. General Taylor displayed 
those qualities which proclaim him the greatest military chieftain of 
the age. 

It was known that the enemy was overwhehningly superior in 
numbers and commanded by their most skilful general, and military 
critics declared the only course to pursue was to fall back upon Mon- 
terey. General Taylor, with a perception of all the consequences 
of such a step, thought and acted otherwise. Fronting him was an 
enemy twenty thousand strong ; in his rear was Urrea with three 
thousand cavalry ; his line of communication ran through a country 
containing half a million of population, waiting but the appearance of 
success on their side to take up arms, and knowing that even to re- 
treat upon Monterey would be claimed as a victory ; that then he 
would be beleaguered by an army of twenty-five thousand men, and 
that his whole line would be cut up, he determined not to give an inch, 
but to stake all upon a batUe, in which every thing was to be gained 
by victory, and disaster could not have been increased by defeat. 
The result is known. The courage of General Taylor, said Mr. 
Marshall, no one disputed, but some denied him great mental powers ; 
he, Mr. M., pretended to some capacity in judging of men's qua- 
lities, and if he ever saw genius, military genius of the liighcst 
order, he saw it in General Taylor. It may be that God, in great 
35 



282 LIFE OF GEiNERAL TAYLOlt. 

emergencies, had inspired him widi those thoughts which rendered 
him invincible ; but, said Mr. M., the result is the same — there is no 
difference. To the great soldier, Mr. M. said, in his intercourse 
with General Taylor, he found was added the man of strict honor, 
and either as a man or as his commander, he loved him." 

The following incidents illustrate the quiet coolness of the General, 
which never entirely deserts him, even amid the uproar of a battle 
field. 

His abrupt close of the conference widi Ampudia, when treating 
for the surrender of Monterey, is as full of meaning as anyUiing in 
Wellington's despatches — " Sir, I hold you, and your town, and your 
army, in the hollow of my hand, and you know it. The conference 
is closed — in thirty minutes you shall hear from my batteries." 

Of course General Taylor would not have said this to a gallant 
and respected enemy. He would have spoken in a very different 
vein to a brave and gallant general, who had maintained his position 
as long as it could be maintained, and now, having satisfied die de- 
mands of honor and duty to their full extent, was ready with the 
frankness of a soldier and a gendeman, to accept the necessity of his 
position. But to Ampudia, neither brave nor gallant, and whiffling 
over a cajjitulation which he knew to be inevitable, the response was 
as fitting as it was well limed and effective. 

There was, on the other hand, a delicious touch of humor in the 
old General's acknowledgment to the " boys" who laughed at him for 
dodging. In the thick of the fight at Buena Vista, when the balls 
were flying " considerable," General Taylor saw some of his men 
ducking their heads as the missiles whizzed by, and called out, " No 
dodging gendemen ; soldiers never dodge." But in a few moments 
a twenty-four pounder came humming so near the old gendeman's 
nose that he involuntarily ducked his own head — whereat some of 
the " boys" " snickered right out." " Dodge the balls, gendemen," 
exclaimed old Zack, as grave as a mustard pot; "dodge the balls, 
gentlemen, but don't run." 

In the same style was his quiet remark at Resaca de la Palina, 
where the balls made lively music too. One of them cut ofl' a piece 
of his coat-tail ; whereupon he drily remarked to one who was near 
him, " These balls are getting excited." 



APPENDIX. 283 

But the best thing he is said to have said was also at Buena Vista. 
It was not only quaint but grand ; there was a sort of heroic largeness 
about it, in conception and expression, than which we know of 
nothing that more fills the mind's eye. It was when the last, 
desperate, almost overwhelming charge was made upon Captain 
Bragg's battery. The captain saw the mighty cohort coming, with 
an anxious gaze, for their was no infantry at hand to sustain him. 
Placing his pieces in position, he hurried to the General, who was 
notfarofl', to represent that his little band would be ridden over, and 
to beg for a reinlbrcement. " 1 have no reinforcement to give you," 
answered the General, " but Major Bliss and I will support you." 

" iMajor Bliss and I" accordingly put spurs to their horses and 
took post beside the camion. We all know what the result was. 

In the speech delivered by Colonel Jeflerson Davis, in New Or- 
leans, on the occasion of the reception there of the volunteers from 
General Taylor's camp, he said that General Taylor had shown 
himself the distinguished soldier of the age, yet he was equally 
remarkable for his kindness of heart and simplicity of habits, his 
strong judgment and excellent sense. He alluded to the fact that 
General Taylor had shared the humblest soldier's fortune in the 
campaign ; that he had in every thing identified himself with his 
troops. He alluded to that hour of the battle of Buena Vista, 
when the day seemed, if not lost, to be going against our arms — 
when General Taylor, amid the thickest of the iron hail, rode upon 
the plateau, and calmly surveyed the scene. Vast as were tlie 
consequences of that hour, he appeared to fear no danger, expect no 
harm. From that moment (said Colonel Davis) the volunteers 
felt assured of victor)^ The presence of that old man inspired a 
courage that could not be overcome, and not a soldier present, said 
he, (pointing to the regiment before him,) but felt then willing to 
die rather than yield an inch. 

It was not, (continued Colonel Davis,) alone on the battle field 
that we learned to love General Taylor. The excitement of the 
carnage over, the same soul that could remain mimovcd when his 
friends were fallinij like leaves around him, who could look un- 
blanched upon the front of the tliundering artillery, become the poor 



284 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

soldier's most sympathizing friend, and the eye so stern in battle 
was as mild as the tender hearted matron's. 



This animal has acquired almost as much celebrity as his mas- 
ter, and several good anecdotes are told of him. He is known as 
•' Old VVhitey," (the Christian name being the same as that of 
" Rough and Ready,") and is a general favorite among the soldiers. 
The following ludicrous incident connected witli the white dignitary 
deserves insertion. 

General Taylor's markee, at Victoria, was about a mile above 
that of General Patterson, and between the two the Tennessee 
cavalry was encamped. General Taylor was riding from his quar- 
ters to General Patterson's one day, and on his route passed close 
to a Tennessee trooper, who was rubbing down his horse. Totally 
ignorant of the rank of the plainly dressed old man, and struck by 
the beauty of his animal, he accosted him with, " Look here, stranger, 
wouldn't you like to swap that ar pony ?" 

" No, friend," quietly responded the General; " he is a favorite 
nag of mine, and I do not desire to part with him." 

A comrade of the trooper's recognizing the General, said to him 
in an under tone, " Bill, you fool, don't you know who you're a 
talking to ? That's Gineral Taylor." 

Now Bill regarding " Rough and Ready" as the greatest man on 
the face of earth, was terrified that he had put his foot on it, and 
stammered out — 

" G-g-gineral, I-I-I didn't know it was you — I l)og p-p-pardon, 
g-g-gineral." Tlio old commander kindly od'ered his hand to the 
trooper, to relieve him from his embarrassment, inquired his name 
and residence, com])limented the Tennesseeans, telling him that he 
had found dicm the l)ravest of the brave, and rode quietly on. 

On the march of General Taylor's division from Monterey to Vic- 
toria, when encamped near a small town, this same pony was stolen, 
and the General immediately despatched a message to the alcade, 



APPENDIX. 285 

informing that worthy functionary of tlie fact, and that if he was 
not restored he sliould take the priest's horse. The threat had 
the desired ciTect, for in a very short space of time the pony was 
trotted up to the General's tent " With the compliments of the 

alcade." 



The following are extracts of a letter, ascribed to General Tay- 
lor, giving his reasons for the leniency of the terms at Monterey. 
The authenticity of the letter has been doubted by some ; but the 
correctness of the views which it presents, and the probability of 
its genuineness, seem to justify its insertion. 

" I do not believe the authorities at Washington are at all satis- 
fied with my conduct in regard to the terms of the capitulation 
entered into with the Mexican commander, which you no doubt 
have seen, as they have been made public through the official 
organ, and copied into various other newspapers. 

" I have this moment received an answer (to my despatches an- 
nouncing the surrender of Monterey, and the circumstances attend- 
ing the same,) from the Secretary of War, stating that ' it was 
regretted by the President that it was not deemed advisable to insist 
on the terms I had j)roposed in my first communication to the 
Mexican commander, in regard to giving up the city' — adding that 
* the circumstances which dictated, no doubt justified the change.' 
Although the terms of capitulation may be considered too liberal 
on our part, by the President and his advisers, as well as by many 
others at a distance, particularly by those who do not understand 
the position we occupied, (otherwise they might come to a different 
conclusion in regard to the matter.) yet, on due reflection, I see 
nothing to induce me to regret the course I pursued. The propo- 
sition on the part of General Ampudia. which had much to do in 
determining my course in the matter, was based on the ground that 
our government had proposed to his to settle the existing difficul- 
ties by negotiation, (which I knew was the case, without knowing 
the result,) which was then imder consideration by the proper au- 
thorities, and which he (General Ampudia.) had no doubt would 
result favorably, as the whole of his people were in favor of peace. 



286 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

If so, I considered the further effusion of blood not only unneces- 
sary, but improper. 

" Their force was also considerably larger than ours ; and from 
the size and position of the place, we could not completely invest 
it ; so that the greater portion of their troops, if not the whole, had 
they been disposed to do sq, could, any night, have abandoned the 
city, at once entered the mountain passes and effected their retre ;t, 
do what we could ! Had we been put to the alternative of taking 
the place by storm, (which there is no doubt we should have suc- 
ceeded in doing,) we should, in all probability, have lost fifty or one 
hundred men in killed, besides the wounded, which I wished to 
avoid, as there appeared to be a prospect of peace, even if a distant 
one. I also wished to avoid the destruction of women and children, 
which must have been very great, had the storming process been 
resorted to. Besides, they had a very large and strong fortification 
a short distance from the city, which, if carried with the bayonet, 
must have been taken at great sacrifice of life ; and with our limited 
train of heavy or battering artillery it would have required twenty 
or twenty-five days to take it by regular approaches. 

" That they should have surrendered a place nearly as strong as 
Quebec, well fortified, under the direction of skilful engineers, their 
works garnished with forty-two pieces of artillery, abundantly sup- 
plied with ammunition, garrisoned by seven tliousand regular and 
two thousand irregular troops, in addition to some thousand citizens, 
capable of (and no doul)t actually) bearing arms, and aiding in its 
defence, to an opposing force of half their number, scantily sup- 
plied with provisions, and with a light train of artillery, is among 
the unaccountable occurrences of the times. 

" I am decidedly opposed to carrying the war beyond Saltillo in 
this direction, which place has been entirely abandoned by the Mex- 
ican forces, all of whom have been concentrated at San Luis Potosi ; 
and I shall lose no time in taking possession of the former, as soon 
as the cessation of hostilities referred to expires — which I have 
notified tlie Mexican authorities will be the case on the 13lh instant, 
by the direction of the President of the United Slates. 

" If we are (in the language of Mr. Polk and General Scott) 
under the necessity of ' conquering a peace,' — and that by taking 



APPENDIX. 287 

the capital of the coiMiiry, — we must go to Vera Cruz, take that 
place, and then march on the city of Mexico. To do so in any 
other direction, 1 consider out of the question. But, admitting that 
we conquer a peace by doing so, — say, at the end of the next twelve 
months — will the amount of blood and treasure, which must be ex- 
pended in doing so, be compensated by the same? I think not, — 
especially, if the country we subdue is to be given up : and I ima- 
gine there are but few individuals in our country who think of an- 
nexing Mexico to the United Slates. 

" I do not intend to carry on my operations (as previously slated) 
beyond Sallillo, — deeming it next to impracticable to do so. It then 
becomes a question as to what is best to be done. It seems to me, 
the most judicious course to be pursued on our part, would be to 
take possession, at once, of the line we would accept by negotia- 
tion, extending from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific, and occupy 
the same, or keep what we already have possession of; and that, 
with Tampico, (which I hope to take in the course of the next 
monlli, or as soon as I can get the means of transportation,) will 
give us all on this side of the Sierra Madre, and as soon as I occupy 
Sallillo, will inchide six or seven states or provinces, thus holding 
Tampico, Victoria, Monterey, Sallillo, Monclova, Chihuahua, (which 
I presume General Wool has possession of by this time,) Santa Fe, 
and tlie Californias, and say to Mexico, ' Drive us from the country !' 
throwing on her the responsibility and expense of carrying on of- 
fensive war — at the same time closely blockading all her ports on 
the Pacific and the Gulf. A course of this kind, if persevered in 
for a short time, would soon bring her to her proper senses, and 
compel her to sue for peace, — provided there is a government in the 
country sufficiently stable for us to treat with, which, I fear, will 
hardly be the ease for njany years to come. Without large rein- 
forcements of volunteers from the United States, say ten or fifteen 
thousand, (those previously sent out having already been greatly 
reduced by sickness and other casualties,) 1 do not believe it would 
be advisable to march beyond Saltillo, which is more than two 
hundred miles beyond our depots on the Rio Grande, a very 
long Une on whii:Ii to keep up supplies (over a land route, in a 
country like this) for a large force, and certain to be attended with 



288 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

an expense wliich will be fri^luful to contemplate when closely 
looked into. 

" From Saltillo to San Luis Potosi, the next place of importance 
on the road to the city of Mexico, is three hundred miles, — one 
hundred and thirty badly watered, where no supplies of any kind 
could be procured for men or horses. I have informed the War De- 
partment that twenty thousand efllcient men would be necessary to 
insure success, if we march on that place, — (a city containing a 
population of sixty thousand, where the enemy could bring together 
and sustain, besides the citizens, an army of fifty thousand,) a force 
which, I apprehend, will hardly be collected by us with the train 
necessary to feed it, as well as to transport various other supplies, 
particularly ordnance and munitions of war." 



The stirring events of Buena Vista have been made the subjects 
of a fine poem, by Captain Albert Pike, who shared the dangers 
of the battle, and is therefore peculiarly fitted to describe it. The 
poem was written for the Philadelpliia Saturday Courier, " And we 
have met with no poetry," says that sheet, " since the commence- 
ment of the war in Mexico, tliat has so stirred our blood as this 
splendid poem. It should grace a prominent page in the volume 
that conveys to posterity in homely prose, the thrilling scenes and 
events which it celebrates. Our friend dates liis letter, ' Camp 
Buena Vista, Mexico, March 12th, 1847.' " 



Bncna Vista. 

From Rio Grande's waters to the icy rapes of Maine 

Let all exult, for we liave met tlie enemy a^ain ; 

Beneath their stern old mountains, wc have met them in their pride, 

And roll'd from Buena Vista hick the battle's bloody ti^le ; 

When the enemy came surging, like the Mississippi's flood. 

And the reaper, Death, was busy with his sickle red with blood. 

Saiit Anna boasted loudly that before two hours were past, 
His lancers through Saltillo should pursue us tliick and fast ; 



APPKNDIX. 289 

On came his solid infantrj', line marching after line ; 
Lo ! their great standards in the sun like sheets of silver shine ! 
With thousands after thousamls, yea, with more than ten to one, 
A forest of bright bayonets gleam fiercely in the sun. 

Lo ! Guanajuato's Regiment ! Lo! Pucbla's boasted corps ! 
And Guadalajara's cliosen troops, all veterans tried before, 
And galloping upon the sight, four thousand lances gleam, 
Where waving in the morning light, their blood-red pinions stream. 
And there their stern artillery climbs up the broad plateau, 
To-day they mean to strike at us an overwhelming blow. 

Now. hold on strongly to the heights, for lo ! the mighty tide 
Comes thundering like an avalanche, deep, teirible and wide : 
Now, Illinois, stand steady — now, Kentucky, to their aid. 
For a portion of our waving line is broken and dismay'd ; 
A regiment of fugitives are fleeing from the field, 
And the day is lost if Illinois and brave Kentucky yield ! 

One of O'Brien's guns is gone ! on, on ! their masses drift. 
And their infantry and lancers now are [)assing to our left ; 
Our troops are driven from the hills, and flee in wild dismay. 
And round us gather thick and dark the Mexican array. 
Sant Anna thinks the day is gained, and riding yet more near — 
Minon's dark cloud of lancers sternly menace now our rear. 

Now, Lincoln, gallant gentleman ! lies dead upon the field, 
Who strove to stay those men that in the storm of bullets reeled ; 
Now, Washington, fire fast and true ! fire tSherman, fast and far : 
Lo ! Bragg comes thundering to the fi-ont, to breast the adverse war ; 
Sant Anna thinks the day is gain'd, on, on, his masses crowd, 
And the din of battle rises up more terrible and loud. 

Not yet ! our brave old general comes — he will regain the day — 

Kentucky, to the rescue ! Mississippi to the fray ! 

Now charge, brave Illinoians ; and Davis drives the foe, 

And back upon his rifles the red waves of lancers flow ; 

Upon them, yet once more, my braves ; the avalanche is stay'd. 

Back rolls the Mexique multitude, all broken and dismay'd. 

Ho ! May ! to Buena Vista ! for the enemy is near, 

And we liave none there who can stop their vehement career. 

Still swelling, downward comes the tide — Porter and Yell are slain ; 

Marshall, before him, drives apart, but still they charge in vain ; 

And now, in wild confusion mix'd, pursuers and pursued. 

On to Saltillo wildly drift, a frantic multitude. 

Upon them, with your squadrons. May ! — out leaps the flaming steel, 
Before his serried columns, how the frightened lancers reel ; 
They flee amain ! now to the left, to stiiy their triumph there, 
Or else the day is surely lost in b.orror and despair. 
For their hosts are pouring swiftly on, like a river in the spring, 
Our flank is turned, and on our left their cannon's thundering. 
37 



290 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

Now, brave Artillerj' ! bold Dragoons ! steady, my men, and calm, 
Through rain, and hail, and thunder,* now nerve each gallant arm ; 
What though their shots fall round us here, still thicker than the hail 1 
We'll stand against them, as the rock stands firm against the gale : 
Lo ! their battery is silenced now ! our iron hail still showers — 
They falter, halt, retreat. Hurrah ! the glorious day is ours ! 

Now. charge again, Sant Anna ! or the day is surely lost, 

For back, Uke broken leaves, along our left your hordes are tossed — 

Still louder roars his batteries, his strong reserve moves on ; 

More work is there before you, men. ere the good fight is won ; 

Now for your wives and children, men ! stand steady yet once more ! 

Now for your lives, your honor, fight, as you never fought before. 

Ho ! Hardin breasts it bravely ! McKee and Bissell there 

Stand firm, before the storm of balls that fill the astonished air — 

The lancers are upon them too, the foe swarms ten to one — 

Hardin is slain ! McKee and Clay the last time see the sun ; 

And many another gallant heart in that last desperate fray 

Grows cold, its last thoughts turning t' wards its lov'd ones far away. 

Still sullenly the cannon roar'd, but died away at last, 

And o'er the dead and dying came the evening shadows fast. 

And then above the mountains, spread the cold moon's silvery shield, 

And patiently and pityingly look'd down upon the field, 

And careless of his wounded, and neglectful of his dead, 

Despairingly and sullenly in the night the foeman fled. 

And thus on Buena Vista's heights a long day's work was done. 
And there our brave old General another battle won : 
And still our glorious banner waves, unstained by flight or shame, 
And the Mexicans, among their hills, still tremble at our name. 
So honor unto those who stood ! Disgrace to those that fled. 
And everlasting glory to the brave and gallant dead. 



The following lines on an incident of the same battle are also 
worthy of insertion. 

"A little more Grape, Captain Bragrgr'" 

The old hero stands on the brow of the hill. 

With his heart in the thick of the fray, 
Where his squadrons beneath him are battling still. 

On the eve of that terrilile day ; 
His quick eye has numbered the mustering bands. 

And he points to the enemy's flag, 
While the battery answers the old man's commands, 

" A Uttle more grape. Captain Bragg !" 

• A portion of the day, during the liattlc, a hail storm swept over the field, and r»ln, 
accompanied with thunder and lightning. 



AI'PENDIX. 291 

The foeman charge home with a thundering shock, 

Anil a touch of Caslilian priilc : 
They dash on our lines like a wave on the rock, 

\Vhen the storm is abroad on the tide ; 
The wave fallcth back, but the rock standeth still — 

There is heart in that bristling crag — 
And the old man stands yet on the brow of the hill — 

" A little more grape, Captain Bragg !" 

Then spoke the loud cannon — its quick thunders again, 

Like spirits they scream on the air. 
And the fallen are lying in swarths on the plain — 

Death's busiest reapers arc there — 
But now is the song of those death-reapers still, 

Yet let not our battle-song lag, 
Hurrah ! to the old man that stood on the hill — 

And " A little more grape. Captain Bragg !" 



Colonel Babfnport. 

Colonel William Davenport, who commanded the rear guard in the 
battle of Okeechobee, was born in the neighborhood of Petersburg, 
Virginia. At a very early age he lost his father, and when about 
nineteen, removed to North Carolina, with the laudable object of ob- 
taining means to relieve his widowed mother. His efforts were in 
a great measure successful. He remained at Raleigh for some years, 
the support not only of his mother, but of the younger members of 
the family. In these humble but praiseworthy pursuits, he so far 
gained the esteem and afleclion of the citizens, by his industry and 
modesty, that when the war of 1812 occurred, they applied for a 
commission for him in the army. This was so unexpected to its 
object, that the first notice he received of it, was by a committee 
waiting on him with a commission of captaincy dated August 10th, 
1812. This he gratefully accepted, and was ordered to Philadelphia, 
and attached to the Pennsylvania troops. To this, is to be attributed 
the circumstance of his being noticed in the army registers as a 
native of Pennsylvania. The silent and delicate manner in which the 
inhabitants of Raleigh procured this commission, has always been a 
subject of gratitude, and warm acknowledgment to the colonel. 

Davenport immediately joined the army on the northern frontier, 
where he was actively employed during the whole war. Here his 



292 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

duties were arduous. Constantly on guard or picket companies, and 
exposed to nightly attacks from the enemy, he was frequently two 
or three days without sleep, and almost without food and drink. In 
one attack on the picket-guard he captured Colonel Fitzgerald, a 
gallant officer, who was then severely wounded. 

Colonel Davenport was in the battle of Fort George, where he 
performed effective service. After peace was declared, he was ordered 
with eight hundred men to establish a military post at Block Island 
on the upper Mississippi. He was obliged to lead his men, through 
almost impenetrable wilds, among tribes of hostile Indians, and where 
a white man had never before trod. From Fort Armstrong he was 
ordered to Arkansas to build Fort Gibson. During the Seminole 
campaign he was placed on the recruiting service at Nashville, where 
was commenced his friendship for the person and family of General 
Jackson. When the Black Hawk war broke out, Colonel Davenport 
commanded at Fort Leavenworth on the Missouri. Here he received 
notice from General Atkinson, requesting a part of the command to 
act against the Indians. This request reached the fort in the even- 
ing, and early the next morning the troops were embarked, the 
colonel's furniture disposed of, and himself on the way to join Gen- 
eral Atkinson. Throughout this campaign Davenport did good and 
effective service. On one occasion, being ordered to pursue the" 
Indians to an island at the mouth of the Badaxe, he waded with his 
men through mud and water three feet deep, and gained the island. 
Here he saw but a solitary man, who was seated on a log holding a 
rifle in one hand and a captured squaw in the other. Upon per- 
ceiving Colonel Davenport he called out for " God's sake not to 
advance, or he was a dead man." The colonel replied, " I came 
here to advance, and here goes." The next moment a discharge of 
muskets from behind the logs, killed five men, and wounded others. 
The Indians were routed and captured. The friendly notice was 
given by Captain Gentry, a gallant Missourian, who afterwards fell 
in the battle of Okeechobee. At Block Island the aged Black Hawk 
resigned his command to Keeokuk, in the presence of Colonel 
Davenport. 

After this war the colonel was ordered to Fort Snelling, tiie 
upper post on the Mississippi, and General Taylor to Prairie du 



ai'1'i:m)i\. 293 

Chien. From this time, witli very few interruptions, these officers 
were associateil in the same regiment ; and it is only since Daven- 
port has been full colonel that a separation has taken place. 

General Taylor was now at Prairie du Chien, commanding the 
first regiment, and Davenport at Fort Gibson, commanding the sixth. 
A transfer was made between these two officers, so that the colonel 
was ordered to Taylor's position, while that officer took charge of 
his own. This was subsequent to the Florida war. During that 
trying period, Davenport was lieutenant-colonel of the first regiment, 
and served four years, performing duties, as difficult as those of any 
officer in the country. At the battle of Okeechobee, he commanded 
the rear guard, and his position probably saved him from falling with 
many others on that trying day. While pursuing the Indians after 
the battle, no food passed his lips for forty-five hours. 

After the close of the war, Colonel Davenport and his lady ac- 
companied General Taylor and his fiimily in their first northern 
tour. He was then ordered to Prairie du Chien, where he enjoyed 
almost a year of rest, but as before stated, he was afterwards pro- 
moted to the command of Fort Gibson, and subsequently trans- 
ferred to his first post. While here he obtained leave to visit 
Philadelphia, from which place it was his intention to tender his 
resignation to eovernment ; but he was hindered from doing so by 
the opening of the present war with Mexico. He was then ordered 
to Jeffijrson Barracks, to prepare the volunteers and newly raised 
rifle corps for service. After performing these duties, he was ex- 
tremely anxious to join that part of his regiment in active service, 
and made several effi^rts for that purpose ; but although the depart- 
ment informed him that his motives were appreciated, yet still his 
services were too important at the barracks to accede to his wishes. 
At length, however, after a tedious and mortifying service, he was 
ordered to Uike command of Matamoras. He is now in command 
of the military district of the lower Rio Grande, governor of Mata- 
moras, commandant of the port, collector of the customs, civil 
judge, Slc. His duties are severe, with I>ut litde prospect of reap- 
ing many laurels by them. 

Colonel Davenport has been twice brcvetted, once according to 
law, for ten years' faithful service, and again for his services in Flo- 



294 Lli't: OF GExNERAL TAYLOR. 

rida. He has been on constant duty for thirty-five years, with 
only an occasional leave of absence, and during all that long term 
has never had the slightest official charge made against him. He 
is a man of sterling integrity, of very sound judgment, and con- 
siderable information. In tactics he enforces strict discipline, and 
is so good a drill officer, that however remote his command may be 
from inspection, it is always ready for any service, the moment it 
is called upon. While in Florida, the colonel earned from the In- 
dians the tide of the stubborn chief, on account of his determination 
of purpose; and a proof of his worth is given by the fact that in 
all the reductions which have been made in the army, he has been 
retained, without making the least eflbrt for the purpose, either per- 
sonally or by means of friends. 

In 1823 Colonel Davenport was married to a lady of Philadel- 
phia. In that city he is well known, and highly esteemed, and 
most of his leaves of absence are spent there. He ranks among 
his private friends nearly all the officers of the old army. He was 
very intimate with General Brown ; and he now holds a similar 
intimacy with Generals Scott and Gaines. 

Colonel Davenport is in his fifty-ninth year, in easy pecuniary 
circumstances, of a vigorous and robust constitution, and capable of 
still encountering great exposure and fatigue. He is a warm friend, 
and takes great delight in company and conversation. His princi- 
pal amusements are reading and field sports, but he never permits 
these to interfere with any known duty. 



©ciutal ©agtofss 5©fncfcokncf to IH ^oiDifrjs. 

The following anecdote is communicated by a correspondent of 
the Montgomery, Ala., Journal : 

" The General had occasion to visit Point Isabel, after the battle 
of Buena Vista, and the captain of die steamboat bad reserved a suite 
of state rooms for the General's accommodation. There were several 
sick and wounded volunteers on the boat, en route for New Orleans, 
who had to take the wayfare incident to a crowded boat, and j)ai- 
ticularly so on this occasion. General Taylor saw all this, and at 
once ordered these men to be placed in his stale rooms, and proper 



AIM'KNDIX. 2'J5 

attention paid them. It was rallier a cold, rainy day wlien this 
occurred. The decli hands and many others on the boat diil not know 
General Taylor. The wind blew high, and the firemen had raised 
a sail in front of tlie boilers to protect themselves from the rain, and 
under this sail there were some old mattrasses; here General Taylor 
lay down and went to sleep. At supper time great inquiries were 
made for the General, and servants sent off to look him up. But he 
could not be found ! At last some one going below, inquired of a fire- 
man if he had seen anything of such and such a man — the fireman said 
no, but added, " there is a clever old fellow asleep there under the 
sail, in front of the fire !" It was General Taylor. Yes, sweet indeed 
must have been the sleep of such a man who has the heart to change 
places with the poor sick soldier, as General Taylor did on this 
occasion ; such humanity stands out in bold relief, and greatly mitigates 
the evils incident to war." 



We insert below the warm tribute of respect paid by the chief 
officers of the first Illinois regiment, and the brave General Lane, 
of the Indiana brigade, to General Wool, on t;iking leave of his com- 
mand at Buena Vista. It is a triumphant vindication of the sound 
military policy which this brave and accomplished officer adopted 
and vigorously pursued in his extraordinary management of the 
volunteer forces of his army. He has proved by the result of his 
own example in the enforcement of discipline and the establishment 
of a strict but just military police, that volunteers, when properly 
officered, l)ecome the most powerful army that can be brought into 
the field. They are then taught to acquire the ordinary efficiency of 
regular soldiers, while they are appealed to as citizens, and retain in 
full vigor that spirit-rousing stimulant of state and national pride, 
which worked so magically on the battle ground of Buena Vista. 

There is another fact developed, not merely by the immediate 
tribute of respect to which we call attention, but in the general 
language of the volunteers since the great battle, which we regard as 
highly auspicious for the service. It is very evident that most of 



296 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

them have clianged their views entirely as to the necessity of discip- 
line. They experienced its benefits in that terrible conflict, and 
they now appreciate its importance. What would have been their 
fate if discipline had been previously disregarded ? Their force on 
the battle field was but 4,010, of which more than 4,000 were 
volunteers, who, in the preceding summer, had been organized into 
the service by General Wool in the respective states of which they 
were private citizens. 

They were now surrounded by an army of twenty-four thousand 
of the best disciplined, the most numerously officered, and the most 
veteran army ever raised in Mexico. Ten thousand of them with 
Ampudia had been under fire at Monterey, and there were officers 
and men who had fought against old Spain, and made civil war their 
pastime for twenty-five years. What, we repeal the question, would 
have been the fate of our brave and devoted little army, if discipline 
had been neglected ? Probably in one hour they would have been 
thrown into confusion, and then, if the sanguinary design of the Su- 
warrow of Mexico had been carried out, seconded by his licensed 
assassins, the infuriated lancers — and his Cossacks, the rancheros — 
who were placed as additional outposts to cut off every straofffler, and 
were all thirsting for blood and plunder, not one man of our heroic 
band would have survived to tell the tale of horror. 

It is not surprising, therefore, that we find not only a change of 
opinion as to the absolute necessity of discipline, but an outpouring 
of grateful admiration towards General Wool for his steady determina- 
tion in enforcing it, and his admirable example in directing it to the 
best advantage on the field of battle. He had known battle fields 
before. But the volunteers, with the exception of one regiment, had 
never been under fire. He knew that his sole dependence in tbe 
hour of trial would be from that self-confiding bravery which discip- 
line alone inspires. Accordingly he had from the moment his army 
was concentrated at San Antonio in the latter part of August, until 
(after accomplishiii<T a march of nine hundred miles) he presented 
them in front of Saltillo on the alarm of General Worth in the latter 
part of Decemlier. and thence up to the very day of battle, directed 
the whole energies of along military life to make his column not only 
the proudest model of an army in all its appointments, equipments 



APPENDIX. 297 

and supplies, but the best in its discipline and military deportment. 
In this he did succeed, but it cost him his popularity with many of 
the volunteers. They had dreamed not of the hardships of drill and 
subordination, of order and discipline, but of the romances of military 
marches and encampments ; and consequently, as the Saliillo Picket 
Guard in his plain style says, " No general ever had so many 
curses for so few offences." But now how changed is the language 
of the volunteers. 

" I take back," says one of them in an Arkansas paper, " all I 
have said against General Wool." " Little as his column liked him 
before the batde," says another, " they all now admit that he is a 
splendid general." " General Wool," says a third, [Telegraph and 
Review, Alton, April 9, 1847,J "behaved most gallantly, and has 
earned all the country can do for him, besides the respect, esteem 
and admiration of his brigade, who, before the battle, had a long ac- 
count of what they considered petty annoyances, treasured against 
him." 

Quotations of similar purport miglitbe multiplied, but we will add 
only the following: 

The Illinois Volunteers to General Wool, 

Brazos Santiago, June 23d, 1847. 
Brig. Gen. Wool: — The officers and soldiers of the first regi- 
ment, Illinois volunteers, on the eve of leaving Mexico for their 
homes, would do violence to their own feelings did they not tender 
to their immediate commanding general a testimonial of their regard. 
Upon entering the service a year since, they were not prepared to 
appreciate the importance of discipline and drill, and consequenUy 
complained of diem as onerous and unnecessary. Complaints were 
loud and many. 

Their judgments convinced, these feelings have undergone ^ 
change, and they now thank you for your untiring exertions to make 
them useful to their country and a credit to the state. 

Whatever, sir, of service we may have done our common country, 
or whatever of honor we may have done the slate of lUinois, to 
General J. E. Wool is due the credit. You, sir, brought your 
column into the field well provided for and disciplined, and fought 
them well when you got them there ; and should our country ever 
38 



298 MFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

again need our services in the field, it would be our proudest wish 
to again meet the enemy under the immediate command of one in 
whose energy, watchfulness and courage we and the whole army 
have the most unlimited confidence. 

With the best wishes for your future fame and happiness, on the 
part of the regiment we beg leave to subscribe ourselves your friends. 
Signed by W. Weatherford, 

Col. first Reg. Ul. Vol. 
W. B. AVarren, Lieut. Col. 
and forty company and staff officers. 

General Lane to General Wool. 

BcESA Vista, Mexico, May 20th, 1847 

Dear General : In a few days we are to take up tlie line of march 
homeward, and from my understanding of the law, I am soon to be 
discharged, and I greatly hope that the cause which gave rise to my 
appointment may soon cease to exist. A speedy and honorable peace 
with this country is much desired by every American citizen. But, 
my dear General, I cannot think of parting with you without ex- 
pressing my high opinion of your great worth as a military man. 
During the time that I have been under your command, 1 have found 
you prompt, faithful and vigilant, ni the discharge of your duty, 
looking alone to the good of the service and the honor and glory of 
our country. A strict disciplinarian, you have discharged your duty 
with ability, and an impartiality worthy a jrreat man. Your exer- 
tions as second in command at the great and glorious battle of IJuiiia 
Vista, moving to and fro in every part of the field, watching the 
movements of the enemy, exposed to danger almost every moment 
of the day, ordering and disposing of our forces in the best manner 
t(^meet and repulse the enemy. Hy your exertions, coolness and 
courage in gaining this victoiv, you have won laurels and a fame 
that will endure as long as the traces of American history shall exist. 
— Hoping that you may live long to enjoy the thanks of a grateful 
people, 

I remain, sir, your most oliedient and luiml)le servant, 

Joseph Laxe, Brig. Gen. 

Bbio. Gbn. Wool, Comiuanding forces at Buena Vista, Mexico. 



AlM'lvNDIX. 299 

®|)« Un^iiantans at stJurns '^'^tgla. 

Surgeon Chamberlain relates iho following incident of the battle 
field. " During the retreat of the Indianians, General Taylor rode 
up to their rear, and thus addressed tliein : '• Men — soldiers — fellow- 
countrymen, I fought for you and your country before you were 
born. I fought for you when you were boys. I have fought for 
you since you were men. Now I want you to fight a little for me ; 
will you do it ?" 

" Hurrah for old Zacli ! Turn out ! To the deatli for old Zacli !" 
was shouted by more than two hundred of the brave fellows (for such 
they subsequently proved tliemselves) who immediately rallied under 
an officer, and fouiiht during tiie rest of the engagement." 



iiieat|j of ©aptain ®aggatt. 

This officer belonged to one of the Indiana regiments, and was 
killed at Buena Vista. In handing his sword to a friend, he uttered 
the noble exclamation; — " Tell the boys to Jight on — our cause is 
jiist.^'' The name of such a man, with his dying sentiments, should 
be inscribed ui)on freedom's banner, and carried in the van of conflict 
through all time. There is a self-poised and self-balanced grandeur 
in a nature which, under the awful circumstances of exhaustion, 
death, and the savage roar of battle, can utter a sentence like this, 
that will appeal to the hearts of men, and fill them with molten fire. 
The history of mankind scarcely affords an equal instance of such 
utter abnegation of self at such a time. Pain, and memory, and the 
black shadows of death, were banished from the heart of this heroic 
man, that in an instant's space the whole merits of the cause in 
which he had laid down his life might be examined, and that search-- 
ing flash of intelligence which, like the lightning, laid bare all that 
before was obscure, enforced the conviction uttered with his dying 
breath. To such a spirit, so unselfish, single and lofty, this was all 
the consolation desired. To God he left the rest — and who will say 
he did not do well ? Little it concerned that champion of freedom, at 
tliat moment, what the living might say of him, scarcely expecting, 
perhaps, more than a local and transient remembrance. But man- 



300 LIP^E OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

kiiid it does concern, that the dying sentiments and the dying con- 
victions, as well as the name of so pure a patriot, should not be 
buried in oblivion. 



The night of the 23d of February last, was one of most intense 
anxiety to the participators in the bloody fight of Buena Vista, 
After twelve hours of obstinate fighting, with the final result yet un- 
known, nothing but water having passed the lips of those gallant men 
for the last twelve hours, the flower of their respective corps dead oi 
wounded, and the certainty of a renewal of the onslaught the next 
day, it is hard to imagine a period more calculated to " try men's 
souls" than that night. After the cessation of the figiit, came the 
lassitude superinduced by the extraordinary excitement of the day ; 
men fell exhausted, and bivouacked in line — " the weary to rest and 
the wounded to die." The depression of physical energy was so 
great that neither hunger nor danger could incite them ; that bloody- 
field was at eight o'clock as silent as the grave. It can hardly be 
surmised what were the feelings of that "■ great old man" upon con- 
templating the results of that day's work. No ofljcer sought repose; 
and the camp fires, which on other occasions had been the scene of 
jest and merriment, were now still, and the deep anxiety depicted 
on the faces of the various groups of officers impressed you with 
a solemnity, forel)oding ill. that was truly painful. All eyes were 
turned ever and anon to the tcMii of on;- upmi whom all their hopes 
were placed, but not a light, not a movement could be discerned. 
The occasion made that single tent an olijcct of intense solicitude. 
SoiTie wondered if he was «lone ; others would have given their 
earthly wealth to have known the thoughts, the hopes, the wishes, 
the intentions of the old hero ; but all was dark and silent as the 

tomb. Captain L . of the topographical engineers, had visited 

the batUe ground at night. He had made some discoveries he thought 
important to be communicated immediately to the commander-in- 
chief. On approachinii the General's quarters, he o\'ertook his 
servant, who had been attending to his master's cacalry, and inquired 



APPENDIX. 801 

if the " old man" was alone and awake, " / spec he fast asleep^ 
captin,for he eat a monstrous hearty supper, and ichen he eat a 
bifr supper he sleep berry hard and sound, and Irecon you won^t 
see de ' old /jos' 'fore 4 o'clock in dc mornin.^ Listen, you hear 
him snore clean out here.'''' When the captain made a report of 
this last reconnoissance, joy and satisfaction were diffused tlirough 
the camp. They knew that all was safe. 



^panUb ®p{nion0 of il^t Mar. 

We find an interesting notice of the Mexican war in the Madrid 
(Spanish) Herald of May 3d, a translation of which is inserted. 
The article is solemn, dignified and remarkably temperate, both in 
style and sentiment. 

"The news from Mexico is every day more alarming — die pro- 
gress of the invaders each day more rapid — the demoralization of the 
country each day more profound. We have before us the official 
account of the batUe of SaltiUo, which w^ith reason we considered, 
from the first, as a very doubtful victory on the side of the Mexicans. 
The trulli is, that although they succeeded in destroying a great part 
of the invading army, it was at tlie cost of immense losses, and the 
rout of the Anglo-Americans was not complete, inasmuch as they took 
many prisoners, and Santa Anna was obliged to retire precipitately, 
as far as San Luis de Potosi. 

But this is not the worst. Wliilst the republic is deprived of 
■all kinds of resources — whilst its principal army is reduced to a 
state of impotency — the Anglo-Americans have disembarked twelve 
thousand men within three miles of Vera Cruz, without meeting 
Avith the least resistance, and have ibrmally commenced the siege of 
ihis town, and the important fortress of San Juan de Ulloa. 

This place, attacked by sea and land, badly defended by a sparse 
garrison, which has few^ resources, the aqueducts which convey to 
them the most important element of life already cut off, it will be a 
prodigy if it sliall have been able to resist, even for a few weeks, the 
energetic attacks of its enemies. It is probable that San Juan de 



302 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

UUoa is now in the power of the Anglo-Americans, and in tlieir 
power, this place will be impregnable. 

What we announced a few days ago, then, now commences to be 
realized. The Mexican nationality is in the agonies of dissolution. 
In a few years the empire of Montezuma, the brilliant conquest of 
Hernan Cortes, will be the patrimony of the Anglo-Saxon, whose 
tireless industry will quickly absorb the Spanish race that now in- 
habit it. The country will doubdess be happier and more enlight- 
ened ; but this is to us a humiliating consideration, which the love 
we bear to our country, and the race to which we belong, make it 
unlawful for us to touch upon." 



Yesterday (says the New Orleans Delta, June 22d,) we had the 
pleasure of an introduction to one of the officers of Colonel Doni- 
phan's regiment, whose martial exploits, and indefatigable marches, 
form laudatory themes for every tongue. We found him unaffect- 
edly frank, possessing an earnest energy, which is no doubt charac- 
teristic of the whole regiment of those western braves. 

This gendeman furnished the editor with the following incidents 
connected with that famous expedition. 

In the course of die march certain circumstances occurred, which 
the men translated into certain auguries of success, whatever might 
be the perils they should have to encounter, and this opinion may 
have had some influence in forming the indomitable spirit they 
•fiubsequenUy evinced. One of these omens he related. At one 
time, during the march, both men and catde were almost overcome 
with thirst, and no water could be had wiUiin a distance of sixteen 
or eighteen miles of them. To travel so far was impossible, for the 
oxen fell down under the wairons, unable any longer to hold out 
against the parching thirst which was choking them. Just at the 
time, and without a single indication in the heavens of its approach, 
the rain came pouring down in torrents, and continued till die oxen 
could drinic from die earth around them where diey lay, and where 
they had fallen from sheer want of it. 



i 



APPENDIX. 



By the way, it may sound something like a misnomer, but still 
it is no less the fact, that the flying artillery of the expedition had 
no other agency of transportation eitlier in the battle or out of it, 
than oxerL, not the swiftest messengers of JNIars, it must be admitted ; 
worse than Mrs. Bardell's slow coach, by a long odds. 



®f}e Blacfe iFllag. 

In one instance, in the presence of some American officers, the 
British consul was very eloquent in his eulogies of the Mexicans. 
They were a most brave, enlightened and a particularly magnani- 
mous and humane people, who, in their engagements with an enemy, 
scrupulously observed the rules of war, and that forbearance to a 
vanquished foe, dictated by the more enlightened etliics of the pre- 
sent day. 

" Are you done now, stranger ?" said the captain of a company 
raised in the western part of Missouri, when he tliought he had 
heard him out. 

" I am done," said the consul ; " I will however add, that my 
statement is unanswerable." 

" Well, if this here don't answer you," said the young volunteer, 
" Tom Benton himself could not stump you !" and he held up tlie 
black flag which the enemy unfurled before going into the battle of 
Sacramento, which showed the murderous designs of the Mexicans. 
The representative of Queen Victoria said nothing, though he evi- 
dently thought there was something in the emblematic eloquence 
of the Missourian. 



The following letter will convey an idea of the nature of the 
Mexican " accommodations,^'' and of the hardships experienced by 
the gallant men, who risk their lives in obedience to a sense of 
duty. 



304 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

CiTT OF Chihuahua, March 7, 1847. 

Dear Major : — How often have I again and again determined 
to send you my hearty curses of every thing Mexican ; but then 
I knew that )ou had seen the sterile and miserable country, and 
its description would be, of course, no novelty to you. To give 
you, however, a brief outline of our movements, I have to say, 
that we have marched to Santa Fe by Bent's Fort ; thence through 
the country of the Navajo Indians to the waters of the Pacific 
ocean ; down the St. Juan river, the Rio Colorado, and the Gila, 
back again to the Rio del Norte ; across the Jornada del Muerto 
to Brazito, where we fought the batde of which you have doubtless 
seen the account ; thence to the town of El Paso del Norte, which 
was taken by us ; thence across two other jornadas, and fought 
the batde of die Sacramento, and have sent you, herewith, a copy 
of my official report of the same. We are now in the beautiful 
city of Chihuahua, and myself in die palace of Governor Frias. 

Rly orders are to report to General Wool, but I now learn that in- 
stead of taking the city of Chihuahua, he is shut up at Salldlo, by Santa 
Anna. Our position will be ticklish if Santa Anna should compel 
Generals Taylor and Wool ever to fall back. All Durango, Zaca- 
tecas, and Cliihuahua will be down upon my little army. We are 
out of the reach of help, and it is as unsafe to go backward as for- 
ward. High spirits and a bold front is perhaps the best and safest 
policy. My men are rough, ragged, and ready, having one more 
of die Rs than General Taylor himself. We have been in service 
nine months, and my men, after marching two diousand miles, over 
mountains and deserts, have not received one dollar of their pay, 
yet they stand it without murmuring. Half rations, hard marches, 
and no clodies ! — but they are still game to the last, and curse and 
praise their country by turns, but fight for her all the time. 

No troops could have behaved more gallanUy than ours in the 
batde of die Sacramento. When we approached the enemy, their 
numbers and position would have deterred any troops, less brave and 
determined, from the attack ; but as I rode from rank to rank, I 
could see nodiing but the stern resolve to conquer or die — there 
was no trepidation, and no pale faces. I cannot discriminate between 
companies or individuals ; all have done dieir duty, and done it 



AFPKNUIX. 305 

nobly. Lafayette lias sent out a host of gallant spirits ; the whole 
company behaved nobly. Your nephew. Lieutenant Robert Bar- 
nett, (Lafayette volunteers) was in Captain Keid's cavalry company, 
in the most dangerous charge that was made during the battle. 
Captain May's charge at Resaca de la Palina, was not bolder or bet- 
ter executed. 

Robert (your nephew) is a gallant and high tempered boy, and 
feels himself privileged to praise and to blame his commanders, as 
may best suit his fancy for the time. Lieutenant Desha Graves, 
(Lafayette volunteers) is also a very gallant man. Indeed, it is a fine 
company ; not better than my others, but it is great praise to say 
that it is equal to the best. 1 regret most deeply the death of poor 
Kirkpatrick. He was in Reid's charge, and fought like a lion. 

Colonel Samuel C. Owens lost his life by excessive bravery or 
rather rashness. He rode up to a redoubt filled with armed men, 
and continued to fire his pistols into it until himself and his horse 
fell, pierced with balls upon its very brink. 

When we are to leave here — where we are to go, or what is to 
become of us, you will be enabled to conjecture more correctly 
by the time this letter shall have reached you, then I can at this 
time. 

Give my best respects to C. French, Esq., Judge Ryland, Colo- 
nel Wood, Judge H. Young, &c. &;c., and for yourself I send the 
assurances of my earnest prayer for your continued prosperity, and 
also for my own speedy reunion with my family and friends in 
Missouri. Your friend, very truly, 

A. W. Doniphan. 

E. M. RrLAXD. 



23o::ibartn:cnt of HJtxn ©rm. 

We have given a description of the siege and surrender of Vera 

Cruz, as gathered from the reports of the oflicers ; but as these 

are necessarily much less copious or satisfactory than accounts 

from private letters, we insert the following stirring narrative from 

39 



306 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

the pea of an eye witness. The interesting incidents it narrates 
will be a sufficient excuse for its length. 

" On the 5th day of March, 1847, while the American squadron 
was lying at Anton Lizardo, a norther sprang up and commenced 
blowing with great violence. The ships rolled and pitched and 
tugged at their anchors, as if striving to tear them from their hold, 
while the sea was white with foam. About noon General Scott's 
fleet of transports, destined for the reduction of Vera Cruz, came 
like a great white cloud, bearing down before the storm. The 
whole eastern horizon looked like a wall of canvass. Vessel after 
vessel came flying in under reduced sail, until the usually quiet 
harbor was crowded with them. A perfect wilderness of spars 
and rigging met the eye at every turn, and for five days all was 
busfle, activity, and excitement. Officers of the two services were 
visiting about from ship to ship ; drums were beating, bands of music 
playing, and every thing told of an approaching conflict. 

On the 1 0th, the army were conveyed in huge surf boats from 
the transports to the different ships of war, which immediately got 
under way for Vera Cruz. During the passage down to the city, 
I was in the fore-top of the United States sloop of war "Albany," 
from which place I had a good view of all that occurred. It was 
a grand sight. The tall ships of war sailing leisurely along under" 
their top-sails, their decks thronged in every part with dense masses 
of troops, whose bright muskets and bayonets were flashing in the 
sunbeams ; the jingling of spurs and sabers ; the bands of music 
playing ; the hum of the multitude rising up like the murmur 
of the distant ocean ; the small steamers plying about, their decks 
crowded with anxious spectators ; the long lines of surf boats, tow- 
ing astern of the ships, ready to disembark the troops — all tended 
to render the scene one of the deepest interest. 

About three o'clock, p. m., the armada arrived abreast of the little 
island of Sacrificios : where the time-worn walls and batdements 
of Vera Cruz, and the old grim casfle of San Juan de Ulloa, with 
their ponderous cannon, tier upon tier, basking upon the yellow rays 
of the sun, burst upon our view. That embarkation was a most 
beautiful, nay a sublime sight. I still retained my position in the 



AI'IMINDIX. 307 

fore-top, and was watcliiiiij every movement with the most anxious 
interest ; for it was thought by many tliat the enemy would oppose 
tiie landing of our troops. About four o'clock the huge surf boats, 
each capable of containing one hundred men, were hauled to the 
gangways of the different men of war, and quickly laden, and 
formed in a single line nearly a mile in length. At a given signal 
they commenced slowly moving toward the Mexican shore. It 
was a grand spectacle. On, on went the long range of boats, loaded 
down to the gunwales with brave men, the rays of the slowly de- 
parting sun resting upon their uniforms, and bristling bayonets, and 
wrapping the far inland and fantastic mountains of iMexico in robes 
of gold. On they went, the measured stroke of the coundess oars 
mingling with the hoarse dull roar of the trampling surf upon the 
sandy beach, and the shriek of the myriads of sea-birds soaring high 
in air, until the boats struck the shore, and our army began to land. 
At this instant the American flag was planted, and unrolling its folds, 
floated proudly out upon the evening breeze. The crews of the 
men-of-war, made the welkin ring w'ith their fierce cheering ; while 
a dozen bands of music at the same time, and actuated by the same 
impulse, struck up 

" 'Tis the star spangled banner ! O, long may it wave, 
O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave." 

Early the next morning the old grim castle of San Juan de Ulloa 
commenced trying the range of its heavy guns, tlirowing Paixhan 
shells at the army, and continued it at intervals, for a week ; but 
with the exception of an occasional skirmish with the lancers, they 
had all the fun to themselves. In the mean time our forces went 
quietly on with their preparation, stationing their pickets, planting 
their heavy mort;irs, landing their horses, provisions, and munitions 
of war, Uiough constandy annoyed by a ceaseless fire from the Mex- 
ican batteries, which they were too busy to return. 

On the 24th, Lieutenant Oliver Hazard Perry, wiUi a zeal woriliy 
of his illustrious father — the hero of Lake Erie — dismounted one 
of the waist guns of the Albany, a sixty-eight pounder, procured a 
number of volunteers, who, with such a leader, would have willingly 
charged up to the muzzles of the Mexican cannon, and taking about 



308 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

forty rounds of Paixhan shells, proceeded on shore, where, after 
dragging his gun througli the sand for three miles, he arrived at a 
small fortification, which the engineers had constructed, in a situa- 
tion commanding the whole city of Vera Cruz. Roused by such 
a gallant example, the crews from each of the other ships disem- 
barked guns, and conveyed them to the breast- work. In this 
they were favored by the situation of the works, which were con- 
cealed from the eyes of the Mexicans by an almost impervious 
chappaml ; so that in a short time they completed a most formida- 
ble fortress, which was styled th' naval battery. 

At this time, while a constant fire of shot and shells were thrown 
at the army by the enemy, General Scott having quietly made all 
his arrangements, sent a flag of truce with a summons for the im- 
mediate surrender of Vera Cruz, and the castle of San Juan de 
Ulloa, together with a full assurance, that unless the demand was 
complied with, an attack would follow. As a matter of course, 
the Mexicans expecting an assault, for which they were well pre- 
pared, and not a bombardment, returned an indignant refusal, and 
were told that at four o'clock, p. m., they should hear further from 
us. In the mean time the chapparal had been cut away, disclosing 
the naval battery to the gaze of the astonished Mexicans, and the 
mortars and heavy artillery which had been planted upon the hills " 
overlooking the city, and were ready to vomit forth their fires of 
death. Every person was now waiting with terrible anxiety the 
commencement of the fray. 

About four o'clock, p. m., while the crews of the squadron were 
all at supper, a sudden and tremendous roar of artillery on shore, 
proclaimed that the battle had begim. The tea-things were left to 
take care of themselves, and sick and well tumbled up the ladders 
to the spar deck. I followed with the human tide, and soon found 
myself in the fore-top of the Albany, and looking around me, a sub- 
lime but terrific sight, my elevated perch pi-csented to the view. 
Some two hundred sail of vessels were lying immediately around 
us, their tops, cross-trees, yards, shrouds — every thing where a foot- 
hold could be obtained — crowded with human beings, clustered like 
swarming bees in midsummer, all intently watching the battle. I 
turned my eyes on shore. Jonathan had at last awakened, from 



APPKNDIX. 309 

his slumber, and had set to work in rariicst. Bombshells were fly- 
ing into Vera Cruz like hail-stones. Sulphureous flashes, clouds 
of smoke, and the dull boom of tlie heavy guns arose from the 
walls of the city, in return ; while ever and anon, a red sheet of 
flame would leap from the great brass mortars of the castle, followed 
by a report which fairly made the earth tremble. The large ships 
of the squadron could not approach near enough to the shore to 
participate in the attack upon the city, without exposing themselves 
to die fire of the castle ; but all the gun boats, small steamers, and 
every thing that coxdd be brought to bear upon the enemy were 
sent in, and commenced blazing away — a steady stream of fire like 
the red glare of a volcano. This state of things continued until 
sunset, when the small vessels were called ofi"; but the mortars 
kept throwing shells into the devoted town the whole night. I 
watched them until after midnight, and it was one of the most 
striking displays that I ever beheld. 

A huge black cloud of smoke hung like a pall over the Ameri- 
can army, completely concealing it from view ; the Mexicans had 
ceased firing in order to prevent our troops from directing their guns 
by the flashes from the walls ; but the bombardiers had obtained 
the exact range before dark and kept thundering away, every shell 
falUng direcUy into the city. Suddenly a vivid lightning-like flash 
would gleam for an instant upon the dense cloud of smoke over our 
lines, and then, as the roar of the great mortar was borne to our 
ears, the ponderous shell would be seen to dart upward like a me- 
teor, and after describing a semicircle in the air, descend with a 
loud crash upon the house-tops or into the resounding streets. 
Then after a brief, but awful moment of suspense, a lurid glare, illu- 
minating for an instant the white domes and grim fortresses of Vera 
Cruz, falling into ruins with the shock, and the echoing crash that 
came borne to our ears, told that the shell had exploded, and exe- 
cuted it5 terrible mission. Throughout the whole night these fear- 
ful missiles were travelling into the city, in one continued stream ; 
but the enemy did not return the fire until daylight, when their bat- 
teries reopened with the most determined bravery. 

About eight o'clock, a, m.. Perry and his brave associates, having 
finished the mounting of their guns, and completed all other arrange- 



310 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

ments, opened with a tremendous roar the naval battery, upon the 
west side of the city, and were immediately answered from four 
distinct batteries of the enemy. The firm earth trembled beneath 
the discharge of these ponderous iruns ; the shot flew like hail into 
the town, and was returned with interest by the Mexicans. Their 
heavy guns were served with wonderful precision, almost every shot 
striking the fort, bursting open the sand bags of which it was con- 
structed, and covering men and officers with a cloud of dust. Many 
shot and shell were thrown directly through the embrasures, and to 
use the expression of one of our old tars who had been in several 
engagements, ' The red-skins handled their long thirty-twos, as if 
they had been rifles.' One officer and several of our men had 
fallen, but the remainder of the brave fellows kept blazing away, 
until the forts and ramparts of the city began to crumble to the 
earth. This state of things lasted to the 27th, the array throwing 
a constant shower of bombs into the city, and the naval battery 
(manned daily by fresh officers and men) beating down the fortifica- 
tions and destroying every thing within its range, when a flag of 
truce was sent out with an offer of the unconditional surrender of 
the city of Vera Cruz, and castle of San Juan de UUoa.' 



.^^e Capitulation. 

" It was a clear bright sunny day on which the surrender took 
place. By special good fortune, the author of this sketch obtained 
an opportunity of being present at the capitulation, and a most 
splendid and glorious pageant it was. The boat in which we 
embarked put off" from the ship about eight o'clock, a. m., and after 
a long pull through the fleet of transports, we landed on a white 
level sand beach, about three miles to the southward of Vera Cruz. 
Here we found the encampment of the volunteers ; and after 
straying around among the tents, filled with a ragged and motley 
assembly, and seeking in vain for horses at the markees of the 
different quartermasters, we started off" for the ' Field of the grounded 
arras.' 

After crossing tlic sand hills, which rise from the beach, we came 



APl'ENDIX. 311 

suddenly upon the stage of the theatre of war. Cannon balls were 
lying over all the plain, like corn upon the thresher's floor, while 
here and there might be descried vast caverns ploughed in the earth 
by tile shells from the castle. Columns of troops were moving 
about in every direction ; general and stafl" officers galloping around 
the field on their spirited chargers ; drums were beating, trumpets 
braying, bands of music playing, and the star-spangled banner floating 
gaily on the breeze. It was a moment to make one proud of his 
country. After a fatiguing walk we came to a long level plain, green 
with verdure, extending for more than a mile, where the Mexicans 
were to lay down their arms. Having secured a spot where we 
had a fine view of ilie whole field, and while congratulating ourselves 
on our good fortune, one of General Scott's aids came galloping over 
the field on his panting steed, and shouted — 

Gentlemen, the General directs that this place shall be kept 
clear. The Mexicans are to march out here ; so you will perceive 
the necessity of seeking other quarters.' 

There was no help for it. Our party separated, each taking up 
the position that pleased him. An officer of the army M'ho hap- 
pened to be ofi'duty at the time, and who had in his possession an 
excellent telescope went with me to the top of a high hill, which 
commanded a view of the whole field, and where a thick chapparal 
tlirough whose branches the cool luxuriant winds came singing, 
spread its grateful sliade above our heads, as we reclined upon the 
soft carpet-like earth, and gazed upon the magnificent view before us. 
There lay the sandy plains, dotted with the white tents of the 
foldiers ; the green field on wiiich the enemy was to pile his arms, 
the shattered walls, ramparts and white domes of the city, the time- 
worn battlements of the easUe, over which the half-masted flag of 
Mexico was trailing in sadness : and beyond, the great, solemn, sleep- 
ing sea, on whose unruffled bosom the countless fleet of transports, 
men-of-war, and steamers, as the long glassy surge came sweeping 
in, rolled lazily to and fro, with their wilderness of spars and rigging, 
basking in the yellow sunshine. It was a most beautiful sight, and 
one that can never be efl'aced from my memory. 

About ten o'clock a. m. the American array moved up in two 
columns — a perfect forest of glittering bayonets — the regular troopg 



312 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

on the light and the volunteers on the left, enclosing the extended field 
in a hollow square, with an opening nearest the city, tlirough which 
the Mexicans were to enter. In a short time the sound of mournful 
music announced that the enemy was approaching; and looking 
toward the city we beheld his columns moving out in good order, 
and in the direction of our army. 

On they came, the poor, crest-fallen, half-starved, emaciated crea- 
tures, marching to the most mournful strains ear ever heard ; the long 
dejected looking files of troops, accompanied by the inhabitants of 
the city — women and children, the old, the young, the crippled — all 
bearing off their little treasures. Some were seen staggering under 
the weight of old trunks, others loaded down with bags of meal — no 
doubt their little all. I need not say that I sincerely sympathized 
with them in their deep distress ; and as I looked around upon 
many poor pale sorrowing faces of the females, my heart ached for 
them, and I involuntarily breathed forth a curse upon the inventor of 
war. 

After the soldiers had stacked their arms, and while they were 
waiting to be paroled, I came down from the hill where I had been 
seated, and strolling around among the columns of Mexicans, was 
surprised to find so many fine looking men and officers among them. 
They had the appearance of being well disciplinetl, and their arms 
and accoutrements were in a most excellent condition. Although I 
Was entirely alone and wore the uniform of the navy, not an insult 
was offered to me ; and whenever I tliought proper to salute one 
of their ofTicers, the civilijy was always promptly and courteously 
acknowledged. 

On I went in a spirit of wild recklessness, stopping to exchange 
an occasional smile or kind word witli the pretty sonoritas, with their 
large dark languishing eyes, raven tresses hanjiing down almost to 
the earth, and with their swelling bosoms more than half disclosed 
to view. Suddenly looking up, I for the first time discovered that 
I had left our army, and all assistance far behind, and tiiat I was 
alone in the very midst of the armed and swarthy hordes of the ene- 
my, and directly before the principal gate of the city. To add to my 
uneasiness, I perceived many dark and threatening glances cast 
toward me from the sullen column of soldiers ; and 1 have no doubt. 



APPENDIX. 313 

that had they not been restrained by a fear of their officers, they 
would have sacrificed me on the spot to gratify their thirst for revenge. 
But let ine feel as I would, it was no time to show indecision ; so I 
walked quietly along the walls, examining the loop-holes for 
musketry, and speculating in my own mind, whether some one 
of the enemy might not lie concealed behind them as at Monterey, 
and take a fancy to make a target of me. I can testify from personal 
experience, that the spot on which I stood at that time, was 7iot a 
bed of roses. Had 1 been made the victim of some deadly marksman, 
who, at such a time, could ever have ferreted out the assassin ? 

Just at this moment, to my great relief, Mr. Crossan, a very brave 
and accomplished officer, accompanied by three others, came up, 
having like me wandered on in advance of the army. After a brief 
consultation, it was decided to go on at all hazards. Accordingly 
we crossed the old bridge, and after passing over a ponderous 
arched gate-way, found ourselves in the almost deserted streets. We 
were the first Americans that entered Vera Cniz. 

What a scene of distress and desolation met the eye at every 
turn ! For nearly a week the American army had rained a ceaseless 
shower of bombs into the ill-fixted city, and not a street, and scarcely 
a house, remained unvisitcd by these terrible missiles. The pave- 
ments ploughed up, beautiful dwellings shattered into masses of ruins, 
signs of ever}' description broken in pieces, and fragments of shells 
lying around in every direction — these told of the havoc which had 
been made with our enemies. The few people who remained in the 
city, seemed completely cowed down, and beaten out with constant 
fatigue, anxiety, and want of sleep ; and as we passed along the 
echoing streets, they looked out of their broken windows timidly 
upon us, as if expecting insult and violence. For myself I sincerely 
sympathized with them in their poignant distress ; and even had I 
possessed the power, I would not for the universe have injured one 
of the poor pale faced creatures of that many sorrowed throng. There 
is something in deep distress which claims a kindred feeling in the 
breast of humanity. 

I soon separated from the rest of the party, and wandered alone 
over the entire city. During the whole of my peregrinations, I was 
treated with die greatest respect and kindness ; and whenever I 
40 



314 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

stopped before a house to gaze upon the damage done by a shell, 
some of the inmates, if the building was not deserted, would come 
to the shattered door, invite me to enter, point out their furniture 
destroyed, or the time-worn walls stained with the hfe blood of a 
father or a mother, a sister or a brother. 

Nor was it the Mexicans alone that suffered. The foreign resi- 
dents of the town not expecting a bombardment, but an assault from 
our array, had remained at their residences ; and, to use the phrase 
of the indignant British consul, ' were caught like so many rats in a 
trap.' That gentleman informed me that for a whole week, he had 
not taken off his clothes, and had scarcely slept a moment during the 
whole of the bombardment. ' Whenever,' said he, • a person did 
lie down to obtain a little rest, it was with the comforting thought that 
in all human probability, a great bombshell would come down through 
the roof of the house, and take up its quarters by his side as a bed- 
fellow.' He went on to say that during the second night of the 
bombardment, he collected together quite a large party of his friends, 
if I remember rightly some twenty in number, ladies and gentlemen, 
who took refuge in the parlor of a large stone house, which being 
very strong was thought to be tolerably safe against the incursion of 
the shells, though they could be heard crashing into the city like a 
hail-storm. But while the party were congratulating themselves 
upon their probable security, they heard a dreadful crasli upon the 
roof of the house, which made its firm walls tremble, and in an in- 
stant the terrible missile landed directly in the centre of the room, 
and exploding with a blinding glare and deafening noise, shattered 
down the buildinsr, and destroyed twelve of the unfortunate inmates. 
In fact 710 place was safe ; the palace of the grandee, and tlie hut 
of the wretched peasant, shared one common fate. 

In the afternoon I visited the hospital where tlie wounded were 
lying ; some of them in the last mortal agonies, some with their arms 
blown off, otliers with their legs broken, and all horribly mutilated. 
The old, the young, the rich, the poor, male and female, had been 
gathered in from all parts of tlie city, to tliis vast receptacle of pain 
and suffering. Heart rending moans arose from every quarter of the 
building, and clouds of flies almost diukcnod the air — I turned in 
horror from the sickening sight. 



APPENDIX 315 

Before night the town was filled with our troops, who kept pour- 
ing in, regiments at a time ; and a constant stream of baggage wagons 
were entering at the dilTerent gates, from the scene of tlie capitulation, 
loaded with the arms and accoutrements of the vanquished enemy. 
As the vehicles passed me rattling over the ruined pavements, with 
their glittering freights, on their way to deposit them for safe keeping 
in the castle of San Juan de Ulloa, I could not but think of Long- 
fellow's beautiful and truthful lines. 

' Is it, O man, with such discordant noises, 
With such accursed instruments as tlicse. 
Thou drownest Nature's sweet and kindly voices, 
And jarrest the celestial harmonics I 

Were half the power that fills the world with terror. 
Were half the wealth bestowed on camps and courts. 
Given to redeem the human mind from error. 
There were no need of arsenals nor forts. 



The following incidents concerning the battle of Sierra Gordo are 
taken from tlie New Orleans Delta. 

The Generosity of our Soldiers. — The kindness of our men to 
the wounded of the enemy was as conspicuous as their fortitude 
under suffering. After the battle was over they could be seen on 
every side lifting the poor fellows into easier positions, supplying 
them with water, and binding up their wounds. Sturdy fellows, who 
a few minutes before were charging against the enemy with the most 
destructive fury and savage determination, were now translbrmed 
by victory into kind nurses, who watched over and assisted their 
wounded enemies with the most tender care and solicitude. The 
circumstances too, were not calculated to arouse very kindly feelings 
on the part of our men. The cowardly advantage taken by the enemy 
in raising the while flag after they had killed so many of our men 
from their secure defences, and just at the time when a bloody ven- 
geance was to be taken for the severe loss we had incurred, caused 
an almost irrepressible excitement and hatred in the bosoms of our 
men. They could scarcely be kept off until the enemy were 



316 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

disarmed, and then they were perfecdy safe. American soldiers, 
resolute and irresistible against an armed foe, would not raise their 
hands against one unarmed and defenceless. 

Major Sumner. — Major Sumner, who led the rifles in the attack 
of the 17th on the enemy's advanced position, made a very narrow 
escape. In the charge, he was struck on the head by a musket 
ball. The bullet was flattened to tlie thickness of a dime, and retained 
on its surface the print of the major's hair, and yet, strange to say, 
excepting the severance of an artery, he sustained no serious injury. 
The artery was taken up, and at the last accounts the major was 
doing well. This excellent officer — accounted one of the best 
tacticians and disciplinarians in the army — may certainly felicitate 
himself on the strength of his craniological defences. He will never 
find any difficulty in getting a liberal policy in any of our life 
insurance offices. 

The Soldiers of Vera Cruz. — The defenders of Vera Cruz, who 
were released on their parole, are viewed in a very unfavorable light 
by the Mexican government. Morales, Landero, and other of the 
officers who were in command at Vera Cruz, have been arrested for 
cowardice, and sent to Guanajuato, to be imprisoned and tried. 
Morales is especially charged with exhibiting feelings of friendship 
for the United States, and with having declared publicly, in Jalapa 
and elsewhere, that it was vain to resist the Americans ; that they 
were better guardians of the happiness of Mexico than her own rulers. 
He advised die ladies of Jalapa to remain in town, and assured them 
and the people generally, that they would sufTer no harm or outrage 
from the Americans. We sincerely hope this assurance of our 
gallant enemy will be fully justified by the conduct of our troops. 
Thus far, General Scott, we understand, has succeeded in maintaining 
excellent discipline and subordination in his large force. No rob- 
beries, no devastation or outniges of any sort have marked the course 
of his army. The houses on die roadside were left undisturbed, the 
catdc and provisions of the poor farmers, the little stock of merchan- 
dize in the stores — even the decanters in the grog shops, on the return 
of die owners — who fled at tlic approach of die army — were found 
just as they were left, with die single exception that a few of the 
decanters were emptied. 



AlM'lvXDlX. 817 

The dcail of the enemy at the battle of Sierra Gordo were iin- 
stripped and undisturbed by our men. The private property, money, 
jewclrv, etc. of the oflicers, were all delivered over to the pay 
department, to be sent to the friends of the deceased oflicers. There 
was not a single case of robbery complained of by any of the prisoners. 
It was whispered among the soldiers that in removing Santa Anna's 
specie chests into our camp, one of them accidentally fell rather 
violendy on a rock, and a few castings rolled out ; whetlier they 
were ever picked up, ur if picked up, if they ever got back into 
Santa Anna's pocket, was never ascertained nor particularly inquired 
into. 

The Mexicans are favorably impressed towards General Scott, 
who has treated them with great kindness, and manifested a respect 
for their religion and their customs, from which very beneficial results 
will no doubt be experienced. 

No prospect of Peace. — Tliere is no reason however to believe 
that the victory of Sierra Gordo will bring us any nearer to a peace 
than we were before. The war is not unpopular with the mass of the 
Mexicans. They have suflered none of its horrors. Besides, the 
controlling spirits of the country keep up the war spirit, knowing 
that if the country is occupied by the United States, they will lose 
their oflices and their influence. It is believed by General Scott and 
the officers with liim, that it will be necessary to occupy the whole 
country. This he thinks can be easily done. With twenty thousand 
men he will march to the capital, take possession of the government, 
disarm the people, establish a Provisional Government under the 
authority of the United States, and defray its expenses from the 
customs and mines, the chief source of revenue in Mexico. Wiiliout 
this force General Scott will not I)e able to move with safety to his 
communications beyond Jalapa. He will have to occupy the Orizaba 
road, to prevent the enemy operating against his rear from that 
position. Having arrived in the Terra Templada, and encamped 
in a perfecUy healthy position, he will no doubt wait for reinforce- 
ments before he pushes farther at least tlian Perote, tlie next point of 
attack. 

A letter from Colonel Davenport, governor of Matamoras, dated 
June 6th, 1847, gives some interesting information concerning the 



318 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

nature of the country, and the leading pursuits of the inhabitants 
round that place. The following are extracts.* 

" The country is of but little value for agricultunil purposes, for 
lack of rain. Irrigation is necessary for all kinds of cultivation, 
and it may be well doubted whether a large plantation could be 
advantageously managed in this way, as on the Mississippi, where 
the water is much higher dian the land. The country is well 
adapted to grazing, yet flocks occasionally suffer much for water 
and pasturage in dry seasons. These however are large, and there 
are always enough left for use. They trust to fortune to meet 
these contingencies, but should she prove a little more fickle than 
she is, I cannot see what alternative would be left, short of fleeing 
the country, or drawing supplies from abroad, which I apprehend 
but few could afford to do. The herding and attendance on the 
flocks, I believe to be the chief business of the country, and the 
people are well adapted to this business. Perhaps one-fourth of 
the population find employment, about a herding, feudal establish- 
ment ; in attending flocks, waiting in the houses, cultivating on a 
small scale, and in attending their master on his journeys as escorts 
to defend him against robbers. For the herding business, it may 
be imagined a settlement in a crowded neighborhood would not be 
preferred. The Mexicans choose a situation as other people would," 
adapted to the occupation they have in view. The point fixed, 
whatever business may be in view, a small store is added, if prac- 
ticable, as a valuable auxiliary to tlie undertaking; servants are of 
course needed to carry on the enterprise, and they are easily pro- 
cured by a sort of civil contract. A certain class of the Mexicans, 
who have no aspirations above servitude, go in debt to a small 
amount, perhaps fifty dollars, in the swre, or otherwise, as it may 
hajipen, and go to work it out, at. say four dollars per month, feeding 
and clothing themselves. This they can hardly do for less than ilieir 
wages ; they therefore never pay tiie debt, nor regain their liberty. 
There may be other modes for making slaves in this country, but 
they have not been suflicienlly defined to me to speak of them. 
The cost of a good field hand in one of our southern states, would 
purchase about fifteen of these peons, or servants as they are now 
• This letter has never appeared in print. 



AFPKNDIX. 319 

commonly called. Slaves other than these, introduced into this 
countr)', would be so much capital sunk. The Wilmot proviso is 
altogether needless. Slavery, like the currency, is regulated much 
better by the business of the country, than by legislation ; and when 
labor will not pay the cost of it, tlien it will hardly be found. 
The chief house of the establislnnent is of course occupied by the 
conductor of the concern, surroundeil by others of a more humblo 
pretension, in which reside the peons, or servants as they are more 
generally called, it being a term less grating to the ears, [^Ihan slave.'] 
They are also called ranchero, the establishment being a rancho. I 
need not tell you that they are considered a great set of rogues, by 
those who know them best, none permitting an opportunity to plun- 
der to escape them, not excepting their own people. Education 
has evidently advanced but little among them. The number who 
can read and write merely, I judge to be much less than tlie num- 
ber which have not reached that standard. Their governors have 
but little interest in the improvement of their understandings. In 
this state of things schools cannot easily accomplish the object of 
their erection. Speaking no language but their own, which but 
few read, they are in no condition to be improved by association 
with foreigners, who, indeed, being adventurers, have less motive 
in instructing them than their rulers. Scattered as they are over a 
vast region, employed in pursuits not favorable to education, it may 
be imagined that their capacity for learning has hardly been tasked. 
In the same condition, I believe, any other people would be equally 
benighted. I have not been much about, but I have supposed their 
dwellings in the interior, not much unlike those in the skirts of this 
town, which will not lose by a comparison with the wigwams you 
have seen on the Saint Peter, [r/t-er.] Their wants, it would 
seem, have not much increased since the days of their forefathers. 

Honesty should not be expected from a people in vassalage, as 
these are, but roguery is not confined to this order. They have 
long been without any fixed government, and reason with them is 
not strong enough to control the bad passions. Those placed in 
authority rob the wealthy upon the pretext that it is for the good 
of the nation, and upon the same plea I suppose the system is car- 
ried to the lowest order- except only those who have notliing at all. 



320 



LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 



This plan plainly paralyzes every motive to honest enterprise, and 
will in the end, be^ffar every people who pursue it. From this 
condition of things they have no relief short of a strong government, 
guarantied to prevent its overthrow, which will be faithful to the 
people, and have no object in its measures but the welfare of the 
nation. Then indeed they will be favored beyond every nation, 
who have not such a government. 



To the general reader, the long foreign names which form part 
and parcel of ever>' history of the present war, are a source of no 
little annoyance. In order to remedy this in some measure, we 
copy the following table from the Cincinnati Commercial, merely 
remarking that both the orthography and pronunciation are 3fexi- 
can and not pure Spanish, it being remembered that all the Spanish 
colonies have corrupted the classic pronunciation of the mother 
tongue. 



Names. 


Pronunciation. 


Definition. 


La Resaca de la 


Lah Ray-sah'-kah 




Palma 


day lah Pal'-mah 


Surf palm 


Palo Alto 


Pah-lo Ahl'-to 


Tall Tree 


Santiago 


San-te-ah'-go 


St. James 


Rio del Norte 


Ree-o del Nor'-tay 


North River 


Chapparra 


Chah-pahr'-rah 


Small bush 


Chaparral 


Chah-pahr-rahl' 


Clump of bushes 


Ranchero 


Rahn-chay'-ro 


One who labors on 
a rancho 


Rancho 


Rahn'-cho 


Small farm 


Hacienda 


Ilah-cc-en'-dha 


Plantation 


Felon 


Pay-lone' 


(Greaser) one of 
the rabble 


Monterey 


Mon-ta-ray' 


The King of the 
mountain 


Plaza 


Plah'-sah 


Public square 


Rinconado 


Rin-co-nah'-dho 


Inside corner 





APPENDLX. 


321 


Names. 


Pronunciation. 


Definition. 


Los Muertos 


Lohs Mwcr'-tohs 


Land of the dead 


Saltillo 


Sawl-te'-yo 


Side hill or fall of 
tabic land 


Uiiciia VisUi 


Bwey'-iia Vees'-tah 


I'lcasant view 


Las Iiicantadas 


Lahs In-can-tah'-dhas 


Enchanted ground 


China 


Chee'-nah 




Estanque 


Es-tahn'-ke 


Artificial pond of 
water 


Agua 


Ag'-wah 


Water 


Novia 


No'-vee-ah 


TVell, {the wafer of 
tvhich is drawn out 
by machinery) 


Agua Nueva 


Ag'-wah New-ay'-vali 


New ff'ater 


San Luis Potosi 


San Lew-is' Poto'-see 




Lobos, (Island) 


Lo'-bus 


Jrolf 


Cerralvo 


Sa-rehl'-vo 




Sierra 


See-er'-rah 


Mountain ridge 


San Juan de Ulua 


San Whahn da Oo- 
loo'-ah 




Vera Cruz 


Vay'-rah Crooz 


True Cross 


Alvarado 


Alvah-rah'-dho 




Anton Lizardo 


An-lon' Lee-zar'-dho 


Lizard Point 


Jalapa 


Hah-lah'-pah 


Jalap 


Mexico 


May-hee'-co 




Sacrifieios 


Sac-ree-feese'-ohs 


Place of Sacrifice 


Bonita 


Bo-nee'-tah 


Pretty 


La Vega 


Lay Vay'-gah 




Ampudia 


Anipoo'-dhe-ah 




Mejia 


May-hee'-ah 




Canales 


Cah-nali'-les 




Paredes 


Pah-ray '-dhes 




Gomez Farias 


Go'-mez Fa-ree'-ass 





41 



35K8 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

S5o!)n m. FintoR, ^xiltl ^aiox, m, §. ^rmg. 

We cannot think upon the fate of this able officer, without feelings 
of the most painful melancholy. He was one of the few to whom 
Nature had given the finest talents, the noblest traits of heart and 
character. His gentlemanly demeanor, his genuine affection for all, 
his fearlessness in danger, and his great learning endeared him to all. 

In early life he was placed at school, where he made rajiid ad- 
vances, and soon entered West Point Academy. Here he was spoken 
of by his instructors as unrivalled in genius, acquirements and high 
tone of moral character. At seventeen he received a commission, 
and was employed for some years on topographical duty on tlie 
Atlantic coast, and in Canada. He then entered as adjutant at the 
school of practice, under General Eustis, and gave entire satisfaction. 
Subsequently he became aid to General Brown, and was employed 
by government, in especial duties, during the performance of which 
he prepared some papers, which were so much admired in Congress, 
that in a leading speech in favor of the Military Academy, he was 
referred to as an instance of the kind of nii>ii that tlie system of that 
institution could produce. 

He served with distinction in the Seminole War, and was present 
at the battle near Lake Monroe. 'I'his was his first experience of ■ 
actual war, and yet he was praised by his companions and officers, 
for having conducted himself like a veteran. He was subsequently 
in Rhode Island, his native state, during the troubles of Governor 
Dorr, at which time he performed considerable service for govern- 
ment. 

At Monterey he was with General Worth's division, and accom- 
panied the troops as they passed so long under fire from the two 
heights, in the storming of those heights, the capture of the palace, 
and in the subsequent street assault, where the soldiers dug through 
walls of houses, amid a continual pour of musketry from the house- 
tops. In the storming of the second hill, he led a battalion on one 
side of the hill, while Colonel Childs connnanded on the other, and 
after forcing the way over rocks and brambles, amid showers of balls, 
he drove the enemy from the top at the point of the bayonet, forcing 
them to retreat to the Bishop's Palace. 



A1MM;NI)I\. 323 

The part he enacteJ in the capture of the palace, was so brilliant 
that we subjoin a description of it from the pen of an officer,* who 
served under him at the time. 

" I found him in command of the advance, and lie then told me 
that his plan was to try to draw the enemy from their position in 
and near the palace, and when they were fairly out, to rise and charge 
them vigorously, and if possible, to get possession of the palace. The 
advance was covered as much as possible behind the rocks, to protect 
tliem from the dreadful shower of grape and musketry, which the 
enemy kept up from their defences. I asked hira if we should advance 
or fire. He told me that I might advance if I did not expose my 
men too much, and that he wished me to fall back whenever I saw 
the enemy coming out, until we were upon his line of ambush, and 
then to close on him and rush on them. It was a well conceived 
plan, and the result showed tliat it was well executed. The enemy 
Avere induced to come out and charge, and as they came up the hill, 
Captain Vinton shouted, ' Now my men, close and drive them.' 
They closed to centre, delivered their fire, and with charged bayonets 
rushed on (he Mexicans. The latter were thunderstruck, and after 
a moment's stand, broke and fled. Our men were in the palace and 
fort before they all escaped, and in ten minutes their own guns were 
turned upon them. It was a stirring, thrilling scene, and I cannot 
do it justice, for it should have been seen, to be felt. Captain Vinton 
derived all the credit which his position enabled him to obtain, and 
I shall always be of the opinion that his plan was an admirable one." 

After some time spent at Monterey, and Saltillo, Captain Vinton 
was ordered with the greater part of the regulars to join General Scott 
in the attack on Vera Cnjz. When the landing took place, he was 
among those of the first line, and received a conspicuous and impor- 
tant command, in a situation which greatly exposed him to the ene- 
my, and was open to an attack at any moment. When the batteries 
commenced he was called to a still more honorable post — that of field 
and commanding officer, in the line batteries and trenches. Towards 
evening of the 22d of March, he went upon an exposed situation to 
watch the effect of his shot, and the direction of that from the enemy. 

* Captain Blancbard. 



324 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

After remaining there for some time lie came down and said to Major 
Martin Scott who commanded the covering party, ' Tell the officers, 
Major, as you pass the mortars, that our guns are working accurately.' 
He resumed his position, and almost at the same moment, a huge 
shell glanced from the side of the parapet, struck his head and 
fractured the skull. He fell dead instantly, and lay stretched on his 
back, with his arms folded over his breast, and his face, as an officer 
writes, who was present ' retaining its habitual expression, sedate 
and earnest, but not harsh.' As he fell the officers and men rushed 
forward and gadiered about him ; the shell was charged with a pound 
of powder and three hundred and twenty musket balls, but fortunately 
it did not burst. Upon his body were found letters from his children, 
stained with his own blood. 

Vinton was buried in the military coat in which he fell. The 
funeral was attended by the general-in-chief, and all the officers who 
could be spared from duty, and the church service was read over him 
by a brother officer — a friend of many years — amid the roar of cannon, 
the falling of the enemy's shot, and the whirling of sand in the fierce 
norther — snatched from the victory of the morrow, tliat his spirit 
might gain a greater victory over death and the grave. ' I am over- 
whelmed with grief,' says an officer writing on this subject, ' My 
friend, the gallant, accomplished Vinton is no more. This sudden 
dispensation has spread a deep gloom throughout the whole army. 
I have been for several hours on a sand hill, in a crowd of perhaps 
a hundred officers, who were uniting their voices in lamentation. 
Just now, at General Scott's tent, the general pronounced to a large 
circle of his staff, a most eloquent and feeling eulogium upon the 
deceased, that went to the heart of every listener. He spoke of his 
rare talents and accomplishments, and high soldiership, as placing 
him in the front rank of his profession. Before leaving Washington, 
the general recommended him for the appointment of Assistant 
Adjutant-General, with die view of making him chief of his staff in 

the field General Scott repeated, this evening, that the 

instantaneous surrender of the city and castle would not assuage 
his grief, nor compensate the country for the loss of such a son." 

Congress created him a brevet major, for his services at Monte- 
rey ; but he never received die news of his appointment. 



^ APPENDIX. 325 

Major Vinton was one of the most learned men in the army. 
He ^aduated at West Point, and received the degree of A. M. 
from a college in New England. He was a master of mathema- 
tics and astronomy, skilled in metaphysics, and the Latin, Greek, 
and Hebrew languages, and versed in his own profession. On most 
of these subjects he wrote books, which received the commenda- 
tion of high authority. But his favorite study was tlieology. It 
had been his intention to enter the ministry, and night after night, 
amid the wilds of Florida, while others were asleep, he was 
wrapped in solitary meditation, or in communion with his God. 
His mind was of a most deep and religious cast ; and that reve- 
rence which he had imbibed in early life, for holy things, never 
forsook him ; and his conduct exercised a most salutary influence 
upon his military companions. In Florida, his mind was pecu- 
liarly exercised. His letters of that period are full of doubts, hopes, 
and planuings for taking holy orders. He fears that his health 
would not enable him to follow a sedentary life ; that selfish motives, 
the ties of family and friends, might hinder him ; he doubts his 
fitness, and frequenUy examines himself in the most thorough, yet 
humble manner. 

During this period he sent for his Greek and Hebrew books, and 
often prepared outlines of sermons. These he frequently read aloud 
among the rivers and forests of Florida. 

The depth and tenderness of his affections are rarely surpassed. 
When young he married a lady of distinguished merit and beauty, 
who died early, leaving two daughters and a son, who are still 
living. In his relations, as a father and husband, he was sensitive 
to every impression, and gave and received exquisite pleasure in 
the interchanges of affection and esteem. In one letter we find an 
earnest plea for the paternal aflcction, in answer to the suggestion 
that it might interfere with the love and duty that we owe to the 
Most High. He speaks from the heart, and will not permit the 
natural affections to be severed from religion, and set over against 
the love of God. He corresponded regularly with each of his chil- 
dren, giving them affectionate advice often upon the holiest and most 
sublime topics. Amid the rude furniture of a soldier, when sur- 
rounded by armed men, some of them the coarsest developementa 



^ 



326 UFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

of life, he wrote a beautiful essay on the presence and agency of tlie 
spirits of departed friends, in which he gives his views of the sub- 
ject, on scriptural grounds, and upon reasons drawn from natural 
reason and philosophy. A letter to his daughter contains some 
valuable hints on the choice of school companions ; and a second 
one to the same, written the night before the commencement of the 
siege of Monterey, shows a spirit of preparation for the duties 
and chances of the morrow, which could not but insure him suc- 
cess. 

Such was Major Vinton. It is melancholy to contemplate his 
death. How much might the mind and talents of such a one, under 
proper opportunities, have done for his fellow men ; yet in a mo- 
ment, before conscious of the presence of the destroyer, he was 
hurried from his companions, to where all distinctions are lost. 
Dreadful as is tlie shaft of war at all times, how still more dreadful 
is it, when the victim is the gifted, the virtuous, and the honorable. 



©olottfll ^? Muggg'g SfHcial Mepsst ?f tit ^ijj^ttion 
to |^u«jut!a. 

Tampico, Mexico, July IS, 1847. 
Sir: — In obedience to your special order No. 41, dated 7th July, 
directing me to call upon General Garay, of the Mexican army, sta- 
tioned at Waughutla (Huejutla), and claim from him certain pri- 
soners of war, who in your judgment, and for reasons which you 
authorized me to suggest, should be entitled to liberation ; and in 
case of his compliance, to bring back said prisoners to Tampico ; 
I proceeded with an escort of one hundred and twenty-six men, in 
its execution. My force was composed of Wyse's companj'- third 
artillery, thirty-four men, with one field piece ; Boyd's company 
cavalry, tliirty-fivc men ; a detachment of my own regiment of forty- 
four men, commanded by Captains Mace and Seguine, and eleven 
men of the volunteer company of Tampico rangers. The officers 
assigned to tliese troops were Captains Wyse, third artillery ; Boyd, 
cavalry ; Mace and Seguine, Louisiana volunteers, with Lieutenants 
Taneyhill, cavalry, Lindenberger, Campbell and Heimberger, Loui- 



APPENDIX. 927 

siana volunteers ; the first of these acting adjutant for the command, 
t!ic two latter as compiuiy oflicers to Captains Mace and Seguine, 
and Lieutenant Wells, coninianding the rangers. There was also 
with the party Sergeant Singleton, of Louisiana company, acting 
sergeant-major, and Mr. Pcnihcrton, an amateur volunteer. I left 
tins place with ray command on the morning of the 8th instant, and 
reached the town of Asulwama on the 9th, which I learned was 
within the district commanded by General Garay. Here I intjuired 
for any military otlicer to whom I might communicate the purpose 
of my mission ; I was informed by the alcalde (or chief magistrate) 
that none were there. I applied to this functionary for com and 
odier necessaries, which were supplied cheerfully, and informed him 
that my tour, although accompanied by a military escort, was not 
in hostility, but to claim of the commandant general some American 
prisoners in his custody, by the orders of Colonel Gates, com- 
manding in Tampico, and which I trusted would be turned over to 
me, for reasons which I should explain. Thence I continued my 
journey to the next town upon the route to General Garay's head- 
quarters, called Tantaynka, (Tantoyuca,) which we reached on the 
11th. Here also, I was furnished by the alcalde with com, beef, 
&c. ; again communicated the character and purposes of my mis- 
sion ; and again inquired, to no purpose, for ;my military officer 
with whom I might communicate, and who might accompany me 
to the general's head-quarters at Waughutla, now distant about 
twenty-five miles. While here I perceived indications of uneasiness 
producing some apprehension that, notwithstanding my assurances 
of the pacific nature of my visit, formidable preparations of defence 
were being arranged before me ; but I could not suspect to meet 
these short of the town occupied by the commanding general, at 
the approach to which I relied upon the white flag, (or sooner should 
I meet any one to whom 1 might show it,) to make all right and 
safe. On next morning early, we moved towards Waughutla, Cap- 
tain Boyd and his company being now the advanced guard, with 
orders not to be more than two hundred yards before us. Having 
reached a point eight miles from our last camp at Tantayuka, and 
about one mile from the river Calaboso, we met a Mexican Indian 
whom we interrogated in reference to the road, &c. From this 



328 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

man we learned that the Mexicans had made an ambuscade at 
the river, that General Garay was there himself with a large force, 
and that it was intended to attack us there. I immediately 
despatched the adjutant and sergeant-major to order Captain Boyd 
to fall back to the main body ; it was too late ; they had no sooner 
started to communicate the order before a heavy discharge of mus- 
ketry was heard, and many single shots after ; we hastened to the 
river ; Captain Boyd, with six of his men, had fallen, and the 
remainder of his company had dispersed or fled back to us. As I 
reached the ground I perceived the enemy had cleared away the 
ground of all bushes for the space of one hundred and fifty yards 
on either side the road, leaving beyond that a dense hedge of chap- 
paral, in the rear of which had been constructed a fence to prevent 
charges of cavalry ; in front, upon the opposite bank, was their main 
body, also protected in their front by thick chapparal. 

A charge was instandy made upon the right by Captain Mace 
and his men, another upon the left by Captain Seguine and his men, 
and the field piece protected by Captain Wyse's company was or 
dered forward to scour the ground upon the opposite bank. These 
movements were nearly simultaneous, and were gallantly performed ; 
at the first discharge the enemy were driven from the left, two 
charges upon the right also dislodged him from their right and com- 
pelled him to unite in one mass upon the opposite bank. In this 
position the batde continued for a full hour. Captain Wyse gallandy 
serving his piece, and being during the whole of the engagement ex- 
posed to the destructive fire from the enemy, directly in his front, 
so well concealed and protected by the thick undergrowdi, as but 
seldom to be sufficiendy seen to be fired upon with any perfect 
precision. There were wounded during the service of this piece, 
six men of its squad. Finally, the enemy sounded their trumpet, 
whether for a retreat or a charge, I do not know ; there was at all 
events a cessation of their fire ; at diat moment Captain Wyse de- 
livered a discharge of canister so fortunately aimed as for a time 
entirely to paralyze their further action. I took this opportunity to 
examine our condition ; we had now exhausted all our field piece 
cartridges but three. The road to Waugluiila lay along a gorge 
between steep acclivities. The prisoners we knew had been removed 



APPENDIX. 329 

from the town ; our re;ir and flanks were now attacked by multi- 
tudes of the men of the towns left behind us on our advance, who 
had already come so near us as to take from us all our mules, packed 
with every thing we had, in provisions, money and clothing. There 
seemed but one way to make our return possible ; it was to regain, 
if possible, the position we had occupied in Tantayuka. I imme- 
diately ordered a retrograde ; we turned and retraced our steps ; 
immediately there fell upon our flanks and rear large bodies of the 
enemy, at such distance however as to make their efforts but slightly 
efficient. At every opportunity to reach them, our rear, commanded 
by Captain Mace, delivered their discharge of musketry, generally, 
most fatal to our pursuers. Whilst ascending a hill in the road, 
about one mile from Tantayuka, a very spirited resistance was made 
by the enemy stationed on the summit, but they were soon driven 
forward and dispersed by as many of Captain Wyse's men as could 
be spared from the piece, who were in the advance acting as light 
infantry. At this critical moment the piece was made again to play 
a very important part in the safety of our retreat, for it had scarcely 
reached the summit of this hill before the enemy came rushing on 
our rear, driving in the rear guard, pack mules and every thing else 
in confusion around the gun, but Captain Wyse promptly unlim- 
bered, sighted and elevated his gim himself, and when within short 
musket shot he touched her off, sending death and confusion into the 
column of the advancing enemy, and before they could recover from 
this shock, he gave them another well aimed discharge of canister, 
which effectually prevented further attack from the rear. In this 
manner we advanced nine miles back to Tantayuka — the whole 
ground being one continued fight. When arrived at that town we 
found an organized force there to oppose us. Captain Seguine, then 
in advance, was ordered to prepare his men for a charge, and Captain 
Wyse advancing his piece to a favorable position, discharged upon 
our opposers one of our last charges of canister, and immediately 
thereon the charge was made ; the enemy fled and dispersed in all 
directions. 

We gained the town and immediately crossed it to a favorite 
mound overlooking and entirely commanding it. Thus, m:\sters here, 
we had leisure to rest and restore our condition to better capabilities 
42 



r 



330 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

of defence ; men were despatched to the stores in the town to pro- 
cure powder and ball ; from which a number of cartridges were 
prepared, using champaign bottles half filled with balls, with the 
remaining space packed with earth, a substitute for tin cylinders. Other 
munitions were also inspected and equally distributed. These pre- 
parations being complete, we had nine or ten good canister charges 
and an average of nine musket cartridges per man. During this 
afternoon I found the men were coming to camp, some of theai 
richly laden with spoils of all kinds from the shops and priva r; 
houses; and although I had not authorized it, I did not regret so just 
a retribution for the hypocrisy and treachery of people who, after 
affecting kindness and hospitality as we left them in the morning, 
had subsequendy fallen upon to annihilate us, and had despoiled us 
of about ninety mules and all our private baggage and provisions. 

While here we perceived the enemy passing round us from all 
directions, and moving to some point upon the road by which we 
had come from Asulwama. We remembered a most favorable place 
we had passed, for any purpose of ambuscade, called Monte Grande, 
at which Captain Wyse had been obliged to dismount his piece, and 
righdy conjectured it was intended to strike us there ; we determined, 
therefore, to take any other road for return, if any there was, and on 
leaving our position at night, the road by Panuco was selected by 
which to attempt to retreat. These arrangements being adopted, we 
were called upon at nine o'clock at night by a flag bearing to me a 
letter from General Garay. I informed the two officers who bore it 
that I did not wish to appear disrespectful to General Garay, but that 
I had neither lights nor conveniences for writing in die camp — that 
therefore, if they knew the purport of the note and would commu- 
nicate it, I would send by them the reply. They said it was a 
demand for honorable capitulation. I answered that there was no 
possibility of any such result ; that I felt strong in my position, and 
able to move when and where I pleased. I then complained in strong 
terms, of the attack upon my command — more like assassination than 
any thing else — stating that I had repeatedly explained to the alcaldes 
of the towns within the district commanded by General Garay, 
the friendly character of my tour, and had diligently sought to see 
an officer of his command for an explanation and escort to him. I 



Al'PENDlX 331 

understood that these ofticcrs expressed rc^et, saying that it was 
attributed to information received from Tampico by their general that 
1 was coming to t;ike away the prisoners by force, adding that it was 
probable the general would like to see and converse with me. I 
appointed ten o'clock as the hour 1 would see General Garay, and it 
was agreed that Captain Wyse would meet the general at tliat time 
upon Uie plaza, and bring them to me or assign a place for our meet- 
ing. Captain Wyse repaired at the time fixed to the place appointed, 
and waited until near twelve o'clock, when he returned to give tlie 
information that they had failed to meet him. We immediately 
prepared to depart, and at two o'clock on the morning of the 13th we 
left camp, during a rain, and gained the Panuco road. It was not 
until nine or ten o'clock of tliat day that the enemy, having ascer- 
tained our retreat, were again down upon our flanks and rear; we 
managed, however, to keep him at bay, and on more than one occasion 
he was made to pay the cost of his temerity, when approaching 
witliin musket or cannon range. We were thus pursued for a distance 
of fifty miles, after we left Tantayuka, but always at tlie cost of the 
enemy, many of whom were destroyed in their pursuit. 

In the engagement at the river, which is called the Calaboso, we 
sustained the following loss, viz : 

Boyd's Company. — Captain Boyd, killed ; Lieutenant Toneyhill, 
mortally wounded ; Sergeant Barker, killed ; Corporal Bruner, killed ; 
privates Tubiff, Brown, Mullican and Burke, killed, and privates 
Luxton, Wilson and O'Hara, slightly wounded. 

TFyse's Company. — Private Alien, mortally wounded, and five 
privates slighdy wounded 

Xon-Commi.isioned Staff. — Principal musician Rose, missing. 

Louisiana Volunteers. — Lieutenant lleimbcrger, severely wound- 
ed ; G. Schmidt, G. Colson, G. Zeller, John Brown and L. Scott, 
killed; L. Human, mortally wounded; L. Davis and L. Lainl)ino, 
missing ; Ogg, slighdy wounded. 

Having no surgeon or means of transportation. Lieutenant Toney- 
hill and two privates, all mortally wounded, with a man as nurse, 
were lefi at the house of tlie alcalde in Tantayuka, with a letter to 
that functionary, demanding for these unfortunate men the common 
rights of humanity ; and also in the conversation with the bearers of 



332 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

General Garay's flag the disposal made of these wounded was 
mentioned, and it was promised they should be cared for. 

For the conduct of every man composing my command, I have 
praise to betow. There were instances, however, of extraordinary 
gallantry. Captain Wyse during the engagement at Calaboso river, 
acted with that steady courage and gaUantry, constituting the highest 
grade of military character, being constantly under the direct fire ot 
the enemy. His indefatigable services and endurance, during the 
two subsequent days of skirmishing by day and watching by night, 
are also gratefully remembered by me, and entitle him to our 
highest commendation. 

Captains Mace and Seguine, of the Louisiana regiment of volun- 
teers, are brave men, and excellent soldiers. — They charged the 
enemy most gallandy at the river engagement, and in entering 
Tantayuka. Their exertions and services were constant and untiring, 
from the morning of the 12th until the night of the 14th. Lieutenant 
Toneyhill may possible survive his wound. It is but justice to say, 
that his conduct was admirable, and deserving the highest compli- 
ments. Lieutenant Heimberger is also entided to my most compli- 
mentary notice. After being severely wounded, and sufliering with 
consequent fever, he did not hesitate to report for duty when the 
enemy appeared, and when it was thought hard fighdng was our 
only resource. Lieutenants Lindenberger and Campbell acted with 
gallantry and zeal whenever an opportunity presented. Mr. Aldridge, 
who as proprietor of the mules engaged as packs, was with us, 
rendered most essential and gallant service, being forward and active 
in every charge made upon the enemy. INIr. Laflcr, one of the 
Tampico Kangers, rendered very important service in coming with 
the express to Tampico by night, when I thought myself so sur- 
rounded as to be in the greatest doubts whether there was any 
possibility of escape without succor. Mr. Pemberton, a genUeman 
who accompanied us as an amateur, also rendered essential and 
gallant services. The small detai^hmenl of Tampico Rangers, armed 
as they were merely as cavalry, could not be so advanUigeously 
employed as the other troops ; tiiey were, however, generally ready 
and willing to discharge such duties as they were called on for. 

Among the non-commissioned oflicers of my command, I have to 



APPIvNDIX. 333 

notice the acting Sergcant-Major SiiijTleton, of the Louisiana regi- 
ment, who on several occasions distinguished himself as a brave and 
gallant soldier ; he had a horse shot under him. 

Another was the sergeant in charge of Captain Wyse's gun, who 
with as gallant a gim squad as ever served a piece, bore the brunt of 
the action on the river bank. The names of tliese brave men have 
escaped my memory. I will procure and hand them to you. 

There were also Sergeants Moore, AVoodey and Tovvnscnd, of 
the Louisiana regiment, all of whom are entided to honorable 
mention. 

I have omitted to stale the force of tlie enemy engaged against 
us, and the probable numlier of their loss. Their strength must 
have been near fifteen hundred. And although we were not actually 
engaged at any one time against their whole force, yet we were com- 
pelled to meet them all in turn. I have learned from Mexican men, 
who saw the batde ground at Calaboso, just before the ensrngement, 
that there were three hundred within the ambuscades upon this side 
the river, and five hundred upon the opposite bank, commanded by 
General Garay himself; and there was probably as many more upon 
our flanks and rear the following days, while in retreat. Their loss 
is estimated at two hundred, as well from statements of their own 
people, as from what we saw. 

In closing this report, which I fear may already be too long, I must 
beg to remark that for our return we are indebted chiefly to the 
field-piece taken out by Captain Wyse's company, and so well 
managed by that excellent officer and his brave men. It is an arm, 
as yet but insufliciendy appreciated, but of which the vast importance 
and usefulness must be developed by experience. In any expedition 
such as that from which I have just returned, I estimate one field- 
piece, well supplied and well managed, as equivalent lo one hundred 
muskets, and perhaps more in defence. 

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, 

L. G. De Russy, Col. La. Reg. Volunteers. 

To Col. William Gates, Commanding Department Tampico. 



334 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

Socura«nt0 foun5 on tp? ^ztile ^iel"^ of sSucna 

(Originally published in the Troy Whig.) 

We feel assured that we cannot do a more acceptable service to our 
readers, than to present them with the following highly interesting 
documents. We are kindly permitteil this privilege by ihe family 
of our gallant townsman, General Wool. It will be seen by the cer- 
tificates to each, that the originals were found in manuscript on the 
battle field of Buena Vista, during the sanguinary and decisive struggle 
of the 23d of Febmary last, and were among the trophies of that 
glorious day. They have been literally translated from the Spanish 
by Captain Davis, assistant quartermaster general, attached to General 
Wool's staff, and have never before been published. To us they 
have a peculiar interest, as contributing more than anything hitherto 
from the press has done, to a knowledge of the true character of 
the Mexican army, and its distinguished commander, against which 
our indomitable and victorious band of less than one-fourth its 
number, had to contend. 

That army has not been fully understood, and its prowess too 
lightly regarded. It was composed of the flower of the Mexican 
forces, had been long and carefully drilled under the personal 
inspection of the President General, and was in all respects belter 
provided and equipped, and more perfecdy prepared, than any that 
country has before furnished. These documents show General Santa 
Anna to be of a much higher order of military science and skill, than 
our fellow-citizens generally accorded to him. That he has had 
great experience, we all know. The physical courage and bravery 
of the Mexican troops cannot be doubted, whatever may be said of 
their General-in-chief, in this respect. This army was ofilcered by 
the elite of the Mexican nation, and embraced, as it will be seen, 
twenty-four general officers. 

When we consider the vast odds against which our brave 
countrymen had to contend, the immense loss in killed and wounded 
to which they were subjected, the result seems little less than 
marvellous. — To have saved themselves from utter amiihilation, 
under all cinrumstancos, would have covered our arms with glory. 
But when we look at its results, and see tliat though the Mexican 



APPENDIX. 335 

army was not captured, yet that it was effectually dispersed, and in 
a great measure disbanded ; that the Mexican power was entirely 
subdued, and the undisputed possession of her northern provinces 
secured to our arms, the recital must cause the bosom of every 
American to glow with patriot pride. History nowhere records a 
harder fought battle, nor a more brilliant victory. Hereafter the 
highest aspirations of military fame will be fulfilled when it shall be 
said of any fellow-citizen, he was at Buena Vista. 

The following proclamation was issued on the 28th January, 
1847, and ordered to be read at the head of each regiment, and a 
copy was ordered to be printed for the use of each company. 

His Excellency, the General-in-chief of the Army of Operations of the 
North, to all under his command : — 

Companions in Arms ! The operations of the enemy require of 
us to move precipitately on their principal line — and we are about to 
do it. 'i'ho independence, the honor, and destinies of the nation 
depend in tliis movement on your decision. Soldiers ! the entire 
world is observing us, and it is obligatory on you, that your deeds 
should be as heroic as they are necessary, from the neglect and 
abandonment with which you have been treated by those whose 
duty it is to succor you — privations of all kinds await you. But 
when has want or penury weakened your spirit or debilitated 
enthusiasm ? The Mexican soldier is well known for his frugality, 
and for his capability of sufferance ; never does he need magazines 
of provisions, when about to pass the deserts ; but he has always 
had an eye to the resources and supplies of his enemy, to minister 
to his own wants. 

To-day you commence your march through a thinly setded 
country, without supplies and williout provisions; but you may be 
assured that very quickly you will be in possession of those of your 
enemy, and of their riches, and with them all your wants will be 
superabundantly remedied. 

My friends, we are about to open the campaign ; and who can 
tell us how many days of glory await us. What a perspective ! So 
full of hope for our country. What satisfaction will you feel when 
you contemplate you have saved our independence, that you are the 
object of admiration to the whole world, and that our country will 



336 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

shower down blessings on your heads. Oh ! when again in the 
bosoms of your famiHes, you shall relate your dangers, and hardships 
suffered, your combats and triumpiis over your daring presumptous 
foe. When you tell your children that you have given them their 
country the second time, your jubilee will be complete, and how 
insignificant will your sacrifices appear. 

Soldiers ! trust confidingly in the destiny of our country — the 
cause we sustain is holy ! Never have we gone to the conflict 
with so much justice — for we are defending the home of our fore- 
fathers and of our posterity, our honor, our holy religion, our wives, 
our children ! What sacrifice is too great for objects so dear ? Let 
our motto be " to conquer or to die.'' Let us swear before the 
Eternal that you will not rest one instant until we completely wipe 
away from our soil the vain-glorious foreigner, who has dared to 
pollute it with his presence. No terms with hitn — nothing for us 
but heroism and grandeur. 

Head-quarters, in San Luis Potosi, Jan. 27th, 1847. 

AxToxio Lopez de Santa Anna. 

By order of his Excellcncj-. 

MiCHELTOREXA. 



The following is a correct list of Generals in die field : — 
Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, President, General-in-Chief; Don 
Manuel Alvarez, General-in-Chief of all the Cavalry ; Lombardini, 
Commander-in-Chief of Lifantry ; Don Antonio Requena, Com- 
mander-in-Chief of Artillery ; Ignacio Mora, General-in-Chief of 
Engineers; Micheltorena, Chief of the General Staff; Vasquez, 
Minon, (detached,) Mejia, Torrejon, Jaurequi, Don Nicholas Flores, 
Ampudia, Rafael Paclieco, Perez, Juvera, Jose NaGarcia, Mora, 
Quintamar, Ortega, Manuel Romero. 



GExr.nAL OnnF.ns, January 28th, 1847. 
Officer in Chief of the Day: — Lieutenant-Colonel Don AL\>vei, Romero. 
Head-quarters, First Brigade. 

ORDER OF MARCH OF THE ARMY. 

By general order, the General-in-Chief commands that the bag- 
gage shall not be carried with the army ; nor shall the soldiers take 
their knapsacks, but shall wear their dress of Russia duck, and 



aPPKXDIX. 337 

over iheir suit of cloth ; they shall only take two shirts, four rounds 
of cartridges and two flints, including the one in the guns ; they 
shall carry nothing except their cooking utensils. All the officers, 
and other persons, shall niarcli in their places, and when bivouacking, 
shall sleep at the heads of their respective commands. 

On Thursday, the 2ath, the fifth brigade of infantry under the 
command of Don Francisco Pacheco, will commence its march, 
sending ahead always the evening previous an officer to procure 
lodgings and preparations for tlie troops. 

On Friday, 29th, the first and second brigades will march out in 
the same manner, under the orders of Rafael Don Garcia Conde. 
These brigades will be considered as united until further orders, and 
consequently all the infantry is placed under the command of Gen- 
eral-of-Brigade, Don Manuel Maria Lombardini. 

On Saturday, 30th, the fourlli and sixth brigades will march 
in like manner under the command of Brigadier-General Don Luis 
Guzman. 

On the 27th the following pieces of artillery will march : — 
Three 24s, three 16s, five 12s, and eight 8 pounders, and one how- 
itzer, with ammunition corresponding to each, and also the platforms 
for the large pieces, 500 boxes of musket ammunition, 12,000 flints, 
and two remainder of the canister and grape of the three pieces, 
which were in Tula — all of whicli will be placed in the twenty-one 
wagons contracted for ; and what remains on 450 mules, which the 
chief of the stiifT will order to be delivered to the commanding 
officer of artillery. The ammunition of the pieces above expressed 
will be escorted by themselves and by the company of sappers and 
miners who belong to the regiment of engineers ; and by the artil- 
lerists of the light brigade, who will take with them all the implements 
necessary for sapping and mining, in the wagons which the sappers 
have ; the jacks for filling with earth will be carried on mules, which 
will be furnished by the chief of the staff. 

The medical staff having left, in the hospital of the city, four 
junior surgeons, and only tlie necessaries for their service, all the 
rest will march, apportioned among the different brigades under the 
orders of the medical inspector general, with all their medicines and 
articles necessary for the campaign. 
43 



338 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

The generars staff and its chief will depart after having advanced 
all the brigades and material of war — taking particular care that after 
arriving at Matagula, the stafl' will be distributed to each division 
according to the necessities of the service. 

All the military left in the city, will know as their commander- 
in-chief, the General-of-Brigade Don Juan Arandox, under whose 
command are the fortifications, instruction, and discipline of the 
troops, and likewise the defence of the city and state ; he being 
commanding general. 

There will remain in this city only those soldiers who are inca- 
pable of doing service in the campaign ; and on the morning of the 
26th, they, all the new recruits, the sick, the weak and unarmed, 
will be marched in and take possession of the different barracks, 
for it is the desire of the President General-in-Chief, that only those 
soldiers should march who are capable of performing the duties, and 
bearing the fatigues and privations of war. 

Each brigade will leave in this city persons capable of instructing 
their recruits, and for the defence of the place ; at least one captain 
and subalterns in proportion to their respective members. 

The General-in-Chief, Don Manuel M. Lombardini, will order 
that by 12 o'clock, a. m., to-morrow, a list be made and delivered to 
the chief of the staff, of all the baggage to be transported belonging 
to each and every corps. The artillery, engineer, quartermaster, 
and medical stafl' will also comply with this order. 

The chief of the staf!' will remit to each chief of section, instruc- 
tions necessary for the march. 

Every officer belonging to this army, whatever may be his rank 
or title, will read to the troops under his command the following 
order : 

1st. Any person who shall desert his flag shall suffer doatli, 
agreeably to article 57th, of the 29th December, 1838. 

2d. Any person who may be found a half league distant from this 
city, or from the camp, wherever it may be, shall be considered 
guilty of the crime of desertion. 

By order of his Excellency. 

Salazon Coronal Vasquez, 

General Brigade. 



Al'l'lvNDIX. 839 

General Okders of the 'iOth to 21 si February, 1847. 
General Oflicer of the day, Don Rafael Vas(iuez ; Aids of the day 

Colonel Jose M'a Benniules, Lieut. Col. Don Francisco Aspeitia. 
For to-morrow— Don Francisco Meji, General Oflicer of the day ; 

Colonel Don Carles Brilo, and Lieutenant-Colonel Don Gregorio 

Elate— Aids. 

In the morning the army will continue its march, which will 
commence at eleven o'clock precisely, in the following order : 

The first, second, third and fourth battalions of light infantry 
will take the lead under the orders of General Ampudia, so that he 
may be able to avail himself of all advantages thai the circumstances 
may require. Immediately after, the battalion of Sappers, and in 
its rear, and at the head of the division of infantry of the van, 
under the orders of General Pacheco, will be placed the company 
of Sharp Shooters, and three pieces of " sixteens," with their 
respective artillerists and reserve, as Ukewise the ammunition, com- 
posed of one hundred round shot, one hundred grape for each piece, 
and eighty boxes of musket ammunition, each containing 9,600 
cartridges. Division of infantry of the centre, commanded by 
General INIanuel M'n Lombordini, will follow ; at the head of this 
column there will l)e five " twelves," manned and ammunitioned as 
above, and also eighty boxes of musket ammunition. At the head of 
the division of the rear, commanded by General Ortejo, there will be 
five pieces of eights, sujiplied with men and ammunitioned as above, 
and also eiglily boxes of musket ammunition, containing each 9,600 
cartridges. The division of cavalry of the rear, will follow closely 
on the last of infantry, having at their head the " Hussars," and in 
the rear, the general ammunition train escorted by^he brigade of 
horse artillery. After the ammunition train, all the camp followers 
of all classes, with the baggage of all kinds, laundresses, cooks, A:c., 
it beinff distinctly understood that no women will be allowed to mix 
with the cohmm. The chief of the com'g department is Don Pedro 
Ranjel, who is also in diarge of the bairgage train. 

His Excellency the (lencral-in-chief, furdiermore orders, that the 
dffercnt corps shall to-day recciive from the commissary three days' 
ratious for the 21st, 22d and 23d, and that they receive the necessary 



340 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

meat this afternoon for the first meal to-morrow morning, wliich the 
troops are directed to eat one hour before taking up the line of march, 
and the second will be taken in their haversacks to be eaten in the 
night wherever they may halt ; this last will consist of meat, two 
biscuits, and a half of a cake of (piloncello) brown sugar for a man, 
for on the night the 21st, there will be no fires permitted, neither 
will signal be made by any military instrument of music, the 
movement at early daybreak on the morning of the 23d, having to be 
made in the most profound silence. 

The troops will drink all the water they can before marching, and 
will take with them in their canteens or other vessels, all they can 
possibly carry, and they will economize the water all they can, for 
we shall encamp at night without water, and shall not arrive at it 
until twelve o'clock on the following day. 

The chief of corps will pay much, much attention to this last 
instruction. 

Each mule belonging to the ammunition train, and the horses of 
officers, will receive two rations of corn, which they will take with 
them, and these will be fed to them to-morrow night at dusk and the 
following morning at daybreak. Tiie horses' girths will only be 
slackened, and the mules will not be unharnessed, while they are 
eating. The light brigade will likewise obey this order on the night 
of the 21st, only loosening iheir saddles a little. The horses and 
mules will be taken to water before commencing the march. 

Each division will take with it its respective medical staff, hospital 
attendants, medicines, &c., regulated by the .Aledical Inspector- 
General. 

The Chaplain-in-chief will provide each divison with its chaplain. 
He will also, as to-morrow is a feast day, order mass to he said at 
six o'clock in front of the position occupied by the vanguards, at 
seven o'clock in front of the centre, at eight o'clock in front of the 
rear guards, and at nine o'olock in front of the division of cavalry. 

General Don Francisco Perez is ordered to be recognized as 
second in command to General Lombonlini, and General Don 
Guzman as second to General Ortejo. 

To facilitate the duties of the Conductor-General of the baggage 



APPENDIX. 341 

train, the cavalry of Celayn, nnd Presidual troops, are hereby placed 
under his command. 

His excellency, the CJcncral-in-cliief, recommends to every olficer 
punctual compliance with, and obedience to every part of this, his 
general order. By order of his excellency, 

Manuel Mr hkltorixa, 

Chief of the General Staff. 



The following letter which appears in the newspapers, may or 
may not be genuine ; but it certainly contains a happy and caustic 
reproof of the practice, now so prevalent, of soliciting discharges 
from the army. 

" The following letter is said to have been written by General 
Scott to ihe Honorable Millard Filmore :" 

Head-Qcabteiis of the Armt. 

:My Dear Sir : — I have received the two letters (one from the 
Rev. Mr. Angier, and the other signed by Mr. Van Wyck) asking, 
on several grounds, the discharge of James Thompson, a private of 
the second regiment of artillery. 1st — He has since his enlistment, 
reformed his haliits. Tbis is an argument in favor of his serving out 
his time, lest he should relapse, if discharged, before confirmed in his 
reformation — military discipline highly favors reformation. 2d— He 
has become pious. This makes him at once a better soldier and a 
better man, and fortunately we are not without many pious oflicers 
and men in our ranks ; but 3d— it is alleged that he has imbibed 
conscientious scruples against performing military duty. — If the man 
be mad he can be discharged on a surgeon's certificate to that effect 
— but if he has only turned cowaril, we have ample means of 
punishing him if he should, when ordered, refuse to figlit. 

I return the letters you enclosed, and remain. 

My dear sir, with great esteem, yours truly, 

WiNFiELD Scott. 

Hon. M. FiLMoiiE. 



342 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

Bznzxul Eilcoi'g i^arc^ 

We copy below, from the Taunton (Mass.) Whig of the 22d 
tns^.a paragraph from an eloquent article in that paper, descri,iiive 
of the march of General Wool from San Antonio de Bexar to Lake 
Parras. and thence to Agaa Neuva, a distance of nearly one thousand 
miles. The circumstances connected with this march, stamped 
General Wool as one of the best disciplinarians of the aje, lun! il.e 
manner in which he maniBuvred the men whom he had so suddenly 
transformed from civilians into soldiers, on the plateau of Buena 
Vista, proved him to be as thoroughly versed in the combinations 
of the battle-field, as in the minuti* of the drill. On the 29lh of 
September, 1846, he commenced his march from San Antonio with 
the advance column of his hasty levies ; and on the 22d of February, 
only five months thereafter, they were brought into action under his 
own eye, and behaved with a steady courage which the old Imperial 
Guard of Napoleon could never have surpassed. When it is 
considered that of these five months nearly three were consumed in 
a rapid and toilsome progress through an enemy's country, the 
military instruction whicli General Wool contrived to impart to his 
troops in that brief interval, cannot fail to excite both wonder and 
admiration. It has been recommended by some of our veteran ofTicers, 
that the " Camp of Instruction," should be organized for the purpose 
of drilling the raw recruits, before sending them to the seat of war. 
General Wool's command was a moving camp of instruction from 
the day he took up his line of march at San Antonio, to the day he 
bivouacked on the shore of Lake Parras. 

General Wool had accomplished a march of nine hundred miles 
through the heart of an enemy's country, without firing a gun or 
shedding a drop of blood. He had levelled hills, filled ravines, con- 
structed bridges, led his army over sandy plains, scaled mountains, 
and brought them to his extreme post in high health, scarcely losing 
one man on the march ; the whole " as full of spirit as the month of 
May," and although consisting principally of volunteers, in a state 
of discipline so admirable, tliat it was the wonder of all military men, 
the column was itself, so thorough in all its appointments, that it was 
the model of an army : in want of nothing, and able to keep the field 
a year. — The General had accomplished his object by consumnidte 



AIM'K.NUIX. 343 

address, and a system of ailiniralilc military diplomacy. He had 
restrained all plundering, spared the Mexicans, and led his own army 
widi their provisions, which were readily supplied at reasonable 
prices, because they were confident that Uiey would be honorably 
dealt with and punctually paid. 

The annals of history furnish no instance of a march like this ; it 
is not surpassed by the retreat of tlie ten thousand Greeks under 
Xenophon, for die Greeks were retreating, Uic Americans advancing. 
No disasters occurred, nodiing was lost, die supplies of provisions 
and the materiel of war were ample, and the fine condition, both 
as to discipline and health, in which the soldiers were found at the 
termination of diis stupendous march — all utter the consummate 
military ability of die commander. 

General Wool soon took post at Buena Vista, and when General 

Taylor arrived, he placed him in command of all the forces near 

Saltillo, reserving under his immediate command a small body at 

Saltillo. Vera Cruz soon became the principal object, and it was 

there the military and naval enterprise of America was to be tested. 

General Scott " regretted that the necessities of the service required" 

all Taylor's regulars, and the best of his volunteers, for the operations 

against Vera Cruz, and dial he was compelled to reduce him to a 

state of inactivity. General Worth was ordered to the coast. 

General Butler left the army on sick leave and went to Washington. 

Taylor and Wool were the only generals left. Sliuf up in the 

mountains and in garrison, the two veterans would be permitted to 

hear the echoes of the din of war, and to give salutes to celebrate 

General Scott's victories. But, 

" There is a destiny wliicli shapes our ends, 
Rough hew them as we will." 

The litde army amongst die moimtains, were compelled to meet 

In pitched battle, the grand army of Mexico, led by Santa Anna, the 

principal general and President of the Republic, in person, and a 

victory was gained unparalleled in the annals of America, and which 

will be 

•• In stop,- and in sou:^ 

For many an ai^e rcmcmhcrcil long." 

The echo of viclorv descended from the mountains to die sea ; it is 



344 LIFE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 

more appalling than cannon, shells and Paixhan guns — an ocean 
fleet and " an army with banners." In five days the principal 
commercial city of Mexico, and the Gibraltar of America were 
surrendered. The eagle of the mountains had strangled the serpent 
of Aztec. 



■Btntxzl ®as3oi'g ^tliiits. 

The political position of General Taylor, seems to be very clearly 
defined in the following letters lately published in the Clinton 
Floridian. It is addressed to a Democrat : 

Camp near Moxteret, Mexico, 
June 9th, 1847. 

Dear Sir : — Your letter of die 15lh ult., from Clinton, Louisiana, 
has just reached, in which you are pleased to say, " the signs of the 
times in relation to the next Presidency, and the prominent position 
of your name in connexion with it, is a sufllcient excuse for this 
letter." — That " it is a happy feature in our government that official 
functionaries under it, from the lowest to the highest station, are not 
beyond the reach and partial supervision of the humblest citizen, and 
that it is a right in every freeman to possess himself of the political 
principles and opinions of those into whose hands the administration 
of the government may be placed," &c., to all of which I fully coincide 
with you in opinion. — Asking my views on several subjects — " 1st, 
as to the justice and necessity of ihii? war with Mexico, on our part ; 
2d, as to the necessity of a national bank, and the power of Congress 
for creating such an instilution ; 3d, as to the effocts of a higii pro- 
tective tariff, and the right of Congress under die Constitution, to 
create such a system of revenue." 

As regards the first interrogatory, with my duties and the position 
I occupy, I do not consider it would be proper in me to give any 
opinion in regard to the same ; as a citizen, and particularly as a 
soldier, it is sufficient for me to know diat our country is at war 
with a foreign nation, to do all in my power to bring it to a speedy 
and honorable termination, by the most vigorous and energetic 
operations, without inquiring about its justice or anything else 



APPENDIX 346 

connected with it ; believiiijr as I do, it is our wisest policy to bo 
at peace with all the world, as long as it can be done without 
endangering llie honor and interests of the country. 

As regards the second and third inquiries, I am not prepared to 
answer them ; I could only do so after investigating those subjects, 
which I cannot now do ; my whole time being fully occupied in 
attending to my proper olFicial duties, which must not bo neglected 
under any circumstances ; and I must say to you in substance what 
I have said to others in regard to similar matters, that I am no 
politician. Near forty years of my life have been passed in the 
public service, in the army, most of which was in the field, the camp, 
on our western frontier, or in the Indian country ; and for nearly the 
two last in this or Texas, during which time I have not passed one 
night under the roof of a house. 

As regards being a candidate for the Presidency at the coming 
election, I have no aspirations in that way, and regret tliat the subject 
has been agitated at this early day, and that it had not been deferred 
until the close of this war, or until the end of the next session of 
Congress, especially if I am to be mixed up with it, as it is possible 
it may lead to the injury of the public service in this quarter, by my 
operations being embarrassed, as well as produce much excitement 
in the country growing out of the discussion of the merits, &;c., of 
the different aspirants for that high office, which might have been 
very much allayed, if not prevented, had the subject been deferred as 
suggested ; besides, very many changes may take place between now 
and 1848, so much so, as to make it dcsiral)le for the interest of the 
country, that some other individual than myself, better qualified for 
the situation, should be selected ; and could he be elected, I would 
not only acquiesce in such an arrangement, but would rejoice that 
the republic had one citizen, and no (loul)t there are thousands, more 
deserving than I am, and better qualified to discharge the duties of 
said oflfice. 

If I have been named by others, and considered a candidate for the 
Presidency, it has been by no agency of mine in tlie matter — and if 
the good people think my services important in that station, and elect 
me, I will feel bound to serve tliem, and all the pledges and 
explanations I can enter into and make, as regards this or that polic)', 
44 



346 



[AVE OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 



is, that 1 will do so honestly and Hiithfully to the best of my abilities, 
strictly in compliance with the constitution. Should I ever occupy 
the White House, it must be by the spontaneous move of .the people, 
and by no act of mine, so ihat I could go into the office untrammelled, 
and be the chief magistrate of the nation and not of a party. 

But should they, tlie people, change their views and opinions 
between this and the time of holding the election, and cast their 
votes for the Presidency for some one else, I will not complain. 
With considerations of respect, I remain, your obedient servant, 

Z. Taylor. 

Mr. EnwATin Delvxy. 
P. S. — I write in great haste, and under constant interruption. 




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